Genesis 37
1 Now Jacob was living in the land where his father had made a place for himself, in the land of Canaan.
Jacob demeura dans le pays des pérégrinations de son père, dans le pays de Canaan.
2 These are the generations of Jacob: Joseph, a boy seventeen years old, was looking after the flock, together with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph gave their father a bad account of them.
Voici l’histoire de la descendance de Jacob. Joseph, âgé de dix sept ans, menait paître les brebis avec ses frères. Passant son enfance avec les fils de Bilha et ceux de Zilpa, épouses de son père, Joseph débitait sur leur compte des médisances à leur père.
3 Now the love which Israel had for Joseph was greater than his love for all his other children, because he got him when he was an old man: and he had a long coat made for him.
Or Israël préférait Joseph à ses autres enfants parce qu’il était le fils de sa vieillesse; et il lui avait fait une tunique à rayures.
4 And because his brothers saw that Joseph was dearer to his father than all the others, they were full of hate for him, and would not say a kind word to him.
Ses frères, voyant que leur père l’aimait de préférence à eux tous, le prirent en haine et ne purent se résoudre à lui parler amicalement.
5 Now Joseph had a dream, and he gave his brothers an account of it, which made their hate greater than ever.
Joseph, ayant eu un songe, le conta à ses frères et leur haine pour lui s’en accrut encore.
6 And he said to them, Let me give you the story of my dream.
II leur dit: "Écoutez, je vous prie, ce songe que j’ai eu.
7 We were in the field, getting the grain stems together, and my grain kept upright, and yours came round and went down on the earth before mine.
Nous composions des gerbes dans le champ, soudain ma gerbe se dressa; elle resta debout et les vôtres se rangèrent à l’entour et s’inclinèrent devant la mienne."
8 And his brothers said to him, Are you to be our king? will you have authority over us? And because of his dream and his words, their hate for him became greater than ever.
Ses frères lui dirent: "Quoi! Régnerais-tu sur nous? Deviendrais-tu notre maître?" Et ils le haïrent plus encore, pour ses songes et pour ses propos.
9 Then he had another dream, and gave his brothers an account of it, saying, I have had another dream: the sun and the moon and eleven stars gave honour to me.
Il eut encore un autre songe et le raconta à ses frères en disant: "J’Ai fait encore un songe où j’ai vu le soleil, la lune et onze étoiles se prosterner devant moi."
10 And he gave word of it to his father and his brothers; but his father protesting said, What sort of a dream is this? am I and your mother and your brothers to go down on our faces to the earth before you?
II le répéta à son père et à ses frères. Son père le blâma et lui dit: "Qu’est ce qu’un pareil songe? Eh quoi! Nous viendrions, moi et ta mère et tes frères, nous prosterner à terre à tes pieds!"
11 And his brothers were full of envy; but his father kept his words in mind.
Les frères de Joseph le jalousèrent; mais son père retint l’affaire.
12 Now his brothers went to keep watch over their father's flock in Shechem.
Un jour ses frères étaient allés conduire les troupeaux de leur père à Sichem.
13 And Israel said to Joseph, Are not your brothers with the flock in Shechem? come, I will send you to them. And he said to him, Here am I.
Israël dit à Joseph: "Tes frères font paître les troupeaux à Sichem. Viens donc, je veux t’envoyer auprès d’eux." II lui répondit: "Je suis prêt."
14 And he said to him, Go now, and see if your brothers are well and how the flock is; then come back and give me word. So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
Il reprit: "Va voir, je te prie, comment se portent tes frères, comment se porte le bétail et rapporte m’en des nouvelles." II l’envoya ainsi de la vallée d’Hébron et Joseph se rendit à Sichem.
15 And a man saw him wandering in the country, and said to him, What are you looking for?
Un homme le rencontra errant dans la campagne; cet homme lui demanda: "Que cherches-tu?"
16 And he said, I am looking for my brothers; please give me word of where they are keeping their flock.
II répondit: "Ce sont mes frères que je cherche. Veuille me dire où ils font paître leur bétail."
17 And the man said, They have gone away from here, for they said in my hearing, Let us go to Dothan. So Joseph went after them and came up with them at Dothan.
L’Homme dit: "Ils sont partis d’ici, car je les ai entendus dire: ‘Allons à Dothan’." Joseph s’en alla sur les pas de ses frères et il les trouva à Dothan.
18 But they saw him when he was a long way off, and before he came near them they made a secret design against him to put him to death;
Ils l’aperçurent de loin; et, avant qu’il fût près d’eux, ils complotèrent de le faire mourir.
19 Saying to one another, See, here comes this dreamer.
Ils se dirent l’un à l’autre: "Voici venir l’homme aux songes.
20 Let us now put him to death and put his body into one of these holes, and we will say, An evil beast has put him to death: then we will see what becomes of his dreams.
Or çà, venez, tuons le, jetons le dans quelque citerne, puis nous dirons qu’une bête féroce l’a dévoré. Nous verrons alors ce qui adviendra de ses rêves!"
21 But Reuben, hearing these words, got him out of their hands, saying, Let us not take his life.
Ruben l’entendit et voulut le sauver de leurs mains; il se dit: "N’Attentons point à sa vie."
22 Do not put him to a violent death, but let him be placed in one of the holes; this he said to keep him safe from their hands, with the purpose of taking him back to his father again.
Ruben leur dit donc: "Ne versez point le sang! Jetez le dans cette citerne qui est dans le désert, mais ne portez point la main sur lui." C’Était pour le sauver de leurs mains et le ramener à son père.
23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they took off his long coat which he had on;
En effet, lorsque Joseph fut arrivé près de ses frères ils le dépouillèrent de sa robe, de la tunique à rayures dont il était vêtu;
24 And they took him and put him in the hole: now the hole had no water in it.
et ils le saisirent et ils le jetèrent dans la citerne. Cette citerne était vide et sans eau.
25 Then seating themselves, they took their meal: and looking up, they saw a travelling band of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead on their way to Egypt, with spices and perfumes on their camels.
Comme ils étaient assis pour prendre leur repas, ils levèrent les yeux et virent une caravane d’Ismaélites, laquelle venait de Galaad; leurs chameaux étaient chargés d’aromates, de baume et de lotus qu’ils allaient transporter en Égypte.
26 And Judah said to his brothers, What profit is there in putting our brother to death and covering up his blood?
Juda dit à ses frères: "Quel avantage, si nous tuons notre frère et si nous scellons sa mort?
27 Let us give him to these Ishmaelites for a price, and let us not put violent hands on him, for he is our brother, our flesh. And his brothers gave ear to him.
Venez, vendons le aux Ismaélites et que notre main ne soit pas sur lui, car il est notre frère, notre chair!" Et ses frères consentirent.
28 And some traders from Midian went by; so pulling Joseph up out of the hole, they gave him to the Ishmaelites for twenty bits of silver, and they took him to Egypt.
Or, plusieurs marchands madianites vinrent à passer, qui tirèrent et firent remonter Joseph de la citerne, puis le vendirent aux Ismaélites pour vingt pièces d’argent. Ceux ci emmenèrent Joseph en Égypte.
29 Now when Reuben came back to the hole, Joseph was not there; and giving signs of grief,
Ruben revint à la citerne et voyant que Joseph n’y était plus, il déchira ses vêtements,
30 He went back to his brothers, and said, The child is gone; what am I to do?
retourna vers ses frères et dit: "L’Enfant n’y est plus et moi, où irai je?"
31 Then they took Joseph's coat, and put on it some of the blood from a young goat which they had put to death,
Ils prirent la robe de Joseph, égorgèrent un chevreau et trempèrent la robe dans son sang;
32 And they took the coat to their father, and said, We came across this; is it your son's coat or not?
puis ils envoyèrent cette tunique à rayures, qu’on apporta à leur père en disant: "Voici ce que nous avons trouvé; examine si c’est la tunique de ton fils ou non."
33 And he saw that it was, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast has put him to death; without doubt Joseph has come to a cruel end.
II la reconnut et s’écria: "La tunique de mon fils! Une bête féroce l’a dévoré! Joseph, Joseph a été mis en pièces!"
34 Then Jacob, giving signs of grief, put on haircloth, and went on weeping for his son day after day.
Et Jacob déchira ses vêtements et il mit un cilice sur ses reins et il porta longtemps le deuil de son fils.
35 And all his sons and all his daughters came to give him comfort, but he would not be comforted, saying with weeping, I will go down to the underworld to my son. So great was his father's sorrow for him. (Sheol h7585)
Tous ses fils et toutes ses filles se mirent en devoir de le consoler; mais il refusa toute consolation et dit: "Non! Je rejoindrai, en pleurant, mon fils dans la tombe!" Et son père continua de le pleurer. (Sheol h7585)
36 And in Egypt the men of Midian gave him for a price to Potiphar, a captain of high position in Pharaoh's house.
Quant aux Madianites, ils le vendirent en Égypte à Putiphar, officier de Pharaon, chef des gardes.
