< Genesis 37 >

1 And Jacob dwelt in the land of Chanaan wherein his father sojourned.
And Jacob lived in the land where his father sojourned, in the land of Chanaan.
2 And these are his generations: Joseph, when he was sixteen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren, being but a boy: and he was with the sons of Bala and of Zelpha his father’s wives: and he accused his brethren to his father of a most wicked crime.
And these are the generations of Jacob. And Joseph was seventeen years old, feeding the sheep of his father with his brethren, being young; with the sons of Balla, and with the sons of Zelpha, the wives of his father; and Joseph brought to Israel their father their evil reproach.
3 Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had him in his old age: and he made him a coat of divers colours.
And Jacob loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was to him the son of old age; and he made for him a coat of many colours.
4 And his brethren seeing that he was loved by his father, more than all his sons, hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.
And his brethren having seen that his father loved him more than all his sons, hated him, and could not speak anything peaceful to him.
5 Now it fell out also that he told his brethren a dream, that he had dreamed: which occasioned them to hate him the more.
And Joseph dreamt a dream, and reported it to his brethren.
6 And he said to them: Hear my dream which I dreamed.
And he said to them, Hear this dream which I have dreamt.
7 I thought we were binding sheaves in the field: and my sheaf arose as it were, and stood, and your sheaves standing about, bowed down before my sheaf.
I thought you were binding sheaves in the middle of the field, and my sheaf stood up and was erected, and your sheaves turned round, and did obeisance to my sheaf.
8 His brethren answered: Shalt thou be our king? or shall we be subject to thy dominion? Therefore this matter of his dreams and words ministered nourishment to their envy and hatred.
And his brethren said to him, Shall you indeed reign over us, or shall you indeed be lord over us? And they hated him still more for his dreams and for his words.
9 He dreamed also another dream, which he told his brethren, saying: I saw in a dream, as it were the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars worshipping me.
And he dreamt another dream, and related it to his father, and to his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamt another dream: as it were the sun, and the moon, and the eleven stars did me reverence.
10 And when he had told this to his father and brethren, his father rebuked him, and said: What meaneth this dream that thou hast dreamed? shall I and thy mother, and thy brethren worship thee upon the earth?
And his father rebuked him, and said to him, What is this dream which you have dreamt? shall indeed both I and your mother and your brethren come and bow before you to the earth?
11 His brethren therefore envied him: but his father considered the thing with himself.
And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
12 And when his brethren abode in Sichem feeding their father’s flocks,
And his brethren went to feed the sheep of their father to Sychem.
13 Israel said to him: Thy brethren feed the sheep in Sichem: come, I will send thee to them. And when he answered:
And Israel said to Joseph, Do not your brethren feed their flock in Sychem? Come, I will send you to them; and he said to him, Behold, I [am here].
14 I am ready: he said to him: Go, and see if all things be well with thy brethren, and the cattle: and bring me word again what is doing. So being sent from the vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem:
And Israel said to him, Go and see if your brethren and the sheep are well, and bring me word; and he sent him out of the valley of Chebron, and he came to Sychem.
15 And a man found him there wandering in the field, and asked what he sought.
And a man found him wandering in the field; and the man asked him, saying, What seek you?
16 But he answered: I seek my brethren; tell me where they feed the flocks.
And he said, I am seeking my brethren; tell me where they feed [their flocks].
17 And the man said to him: They are departed from this place: for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothain. And Joseph went forward after his brethren, and found them in Dothain.
And the man said to him, They have departed hence, for I heard them saying, Let us go to Dothaim; and Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothaim.
18 And when they saw him afar off, before he came nigh them, they thought to kill him.
And they spied him from a distance before he drew near to them, and they wickedly took counsel to kill him.
19 And said one to another: Behold the dreamer cometh.
And each said to his brother, Behold, that dreamer comes.
20 Come, let us kill him, and cast him into some old pit: and we will say: Some evil beast hath devoured him: and then it shall appear what his dreams avail him:
Now then come, let us kill him, and cast him into one of the pits; and we will say, An evil wild beast has devoured him; and we shall see what his dreams will be.
21 And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and said:
And Ruben having heard it, rescued him out of their hands, and said, Let us not kill him.
22 Do not take away his life, nor shed his blood: but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless: now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands and to restore him to his father.
And Ruben said to them, Shed not blood; cast him into one of these pits in the wilderness, but do not lay [your] hands upon him; that he might rescue him out of their hands, and restore him to his father.
23 And as soon as he came to his brethren, they forthwith stript him of his outside coat, that was of divers colours:
And it came to pass, when Joseph came to his brethren, that they stripped Joseph of his many-coloured coat that was upon him.
24 And cast him into an old pit, where there was no water.
And they took him and cast him into the pit; and the pit was empty, it had not water.
25 And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ismaelites on their way coming from Galaad, with their camels, carrying spices, and balm, and myrrh to Egypt.
And they sat down to eat bread; and having lifted up their eyes they saw, and behold, Ismaelitish travellers came from Galaad, and their camels were heavily loaded with spices, and resin, and myrrh; and they went to bring them to Egypt.
26 And Juda said to his brethren: What will it profit us to kill our brother, and conceal his blood?
And Judas said to his brethren, What profit is it if we kill our brother, and conceal his blood?
27 It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our hands be not defiled: for he is our brother and our flesh. His brethren agreed to his words.
Come, let us sell him to these Ismaelites, but let not our hands be upon him, because he is our brother and our flesh; and his brethren listened.
28 And when the Madianite merchants passed by, they drew him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ismaelites, for twenty pieces of silver: and they led him into Egypt.
And the men, the merchants of Madian, went by, and they drew and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ismaelites for twenty pieces of gold; and they brought Joseph down into Egypt.
29 And Ruben, returning to the pit, found not the boy:
And Ruben returned to the pit, and sees not Joseph in the pit; and he tore his garments.
30 And rending his garments he went to his brethren, and said: The boy doth not appear and whither shall I go?
And he returned to his brethren and said, The boy is not; and I, whither am I yet to go?
31 And they took his coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid, which they had killed:
And having taken the coat of Joseph, they killed a kid of the goats, and stained the coat with the blood.
32 Sending some to carry it to their father, and to say: This we have found: see whether it be thy son’s coat, or not.
And they sent the coat of many colours; and they brought it to their father, and said, This have we found; know if it be your son's coat or no. And he recognised it, and said, It is my son's coat, an evil wild beast has devoured him; a wild beast has carried off Joseph.
33 And the father acknowledging it, said: It is my son’s coat, an evil wild beast hath eaten him, a beast hath devoured Joseph.
34 And tearing his garments, he put on sackcloth, mourning for his son a long time.
And Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
35 And all his children being gathered together to comfort their father in his sorrow, he would not receive comfort, but said: I will go down to my son into hell, mourning. And whilst he continued weeping, (Sheol h7585)
And all his sons and his daughters gathered themselves together, and came to comfort him; but he would not be comforted, saying, I will go down to my son mourning to Hades; and his father wept for him. (Sheol h7585)
36 The Madianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Putiphar, an eunuch of Pharao, captain of the soldiers.
And the Madianites sold Joseph into Egypt; to Petephres, the eunuch of Pharao, captain of the guard.

< Genesis 37 >