Genesis 37
1 And Jacob dwelt in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.
Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided, the land of Canaan.
2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and he was a lad with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought the evil report of them unto their father.
This is the account of Jacob. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was tending the flock with his brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah, and he brought their father a bad report about them.
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors.
4 And his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren; and they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.
6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had:
7 for, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves came round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine.”
8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
“Do you intend to reign over us?” his brothers asked. “Will you actually rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and his statements.
9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed yet a dream; and, behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars made obeisance to me.
Then Joseph had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”
10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren; and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
He told his father and brothers, but his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream that you have had? Will your mother and brothers and I actually come and bow down to the ground before you?”
11 And his brethren envied him; but his father kept the saying in mind.
And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said.
12 And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
Some time later, Joseph’s brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks near Shechem.
13 And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.
Israel said to him, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flocks at Shechem? Get ready; I am sending you to them.” “I am ready,” Joseph replied.
14 And he said to him, Go now, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flock; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
Then Israel told him, “Go now and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. And when Joseph arrived in Shechem,
15 And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
a man found him wandering in the field and asked, “What are you looking for?”
16 And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they are feeding [the flock].
“I am looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Can you please tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?”
17 And the man said, They are departed hence: for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
“They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph set out after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
18 And they saw him afar off, and before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him.
19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
“Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another.
20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, An evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
“Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!”
21 And Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand; and said, Let us not take his life.
When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said.
22 And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood; cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand upon him: that he might deliver him out of their hand, to restore him to his father.
“Do not shed his blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands and return him to his father.
23 And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph of his coat, the coat of many colours that was on him;
So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the robe of many colors he was wearing—
24 and they took him, and cast him into the pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it.
25 And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a travelling company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead, with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt.
26 And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood?
Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?
27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother, our flesh. And his brethren hearkened unto him.
Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed.
28 And there passed by Midianites, merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they brought Joseph into Egypt.
So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
29 And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,
30 And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?
returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”
31 And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a he-goat, and dipped the coat in the blood;
Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood.
32 and they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son’s coat or not.
They sent the robe of many colors to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe or not.”
33 And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces.
His father recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”
34 And Jacob rent his garments, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
35 And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down to the grave to my son mourning. And his father wept for him. (Sheol h7585)
All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him. (Sheol h7585)
36 And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard.
Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.
