Genesis 37
1 So Jacob dwelt in the land of the sojournings of his father, —in the land of Canaan.
Now Jacob lived in the land of Canaan, where his father sojourned.
2 These, are the generations of Jacob—Joseph, when seventeen years old, was shepherding with his brethren among the flocks, and, he, being a youth, was with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah wives of his father, —so then Joseph brought in the talk about them—something bad, unto their father.
And these are his generations. Joseph, when he was sixteen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers, when he was still a boy. And he was with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, the wives of his father. And he accused his brothers to their father of a most sinful crime.
3 Now, Israel, loved Joseph more than any of his sons, because he was to him, the son of his old age, and he had made him, a long tunic.
Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had conceived him in his old age. And he made him a tunic, woven of many colors.
4 So his brethren saw that their father loved him, more than any of his brethren, and they hated him, and could not bid him prosper,
Then his brothers, seeing that he was loved by his father more than all his other sons, hated him, and they were not able to say anything peacefully to him.
5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and told it to his brethren, and they went on yet more to hate him.
Then it also happened that he recounted the vision of a dream to his brothers, for which reason a greater hatred began to be nurtured.
6 And he said unto them, Hear ye I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
And he said to them, “Listen to my dream that I saw.
7 Lo! then, we, were binding sheaves in the midst of the field, when lo my sheaf rose up, yea and took its stand, —and lo! round about came your sheaves, and bowed themselves down to my sheaf.
I thought we were binding sheaves in the field. And my sheaf seemed to rise up and stand, and your sheaves, standing in a circle, reverenced my sheaf.”
8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou, reign, over us, shalt thou, have dominion over us? So they went on yet more to hate him, because of his dreams and because of his words.
His brothers responded: “Would you be our king? Or will we be subject to your dominion?” Therefore, this matter of his dreams and words provided kindling to their envy and hatred.
9 Then dreamed he, yet another, dream, and related it to his brethren, and said: —Lo! I have dreamed a dream, yet again, Lo! then, the sun and the moon, and eleven stars, were bowing themselves down to me.
Likewise, he saw another dream, which he explained to his brothers, saying, “I saw by a dream, as if the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars were reverencing me.”
10 So he related it unto his father, and unto his brethren, —and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream which thou hast dreamed? Shall we, indeed come in, I, and thy mother and thy brethren, to bow ourselves down to thee to the earth?
And when he had related this to his father and brothers, his father rebuked him, and he said: “What does it mean to you, this dream that you have seen? Should I, and your mother, and your brothers reverence you upon the earth?”
11 Then were his brethren jealous of him, but his father, marked the word.
Therefore, his brothers were envious of him. Yet truly, his father considered the matter silently.
12 Now his brethren went their way, —to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
And while his brothers were lodging at Shechem, pasturing their father’s flocks,
13 So Israel said unto Joseph Are not, thy brethren, feeding the flock in Shechem? Come on! and let me send thee unto them. And he said to him Behold me!
Israel said to him: “Your brothers are pasturing the sheep at Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” And when he answered,
14 So he said to him—Go, I pray thee, look after the welfare of thy brethren, and the welfare of the flock, and bring me back word. And he sent him from the vale of Hebron, and he came in towards Shechem.
“I am ready,” he said to him, “Go, and see if everything is prospering with your brothers and the cattle, and report to me what is happening.” So, having been sent from the valley of Hebron, he arrived at Shechem.
15 And a man found him, and lo! he was wandering about in the field, so the man asked him saying—What seekest thou?
And a man found him wandering in a field, and he asked him what he was seeking.
16 And he said, My brethren, am, I, seeking, —do tell me, I pray thee, where they are feeding their flock.
So he responded: “I seek my brothers. Tell me where they pasture the flocks.”
17 And the man said, They have broken up from hence, for I heard them saying Let us go our way towards Dothan. So Joseph went after his brethren, and found them, in Dothan.
And the man said to him: “They have withdrawn from this place. But I heard them saying, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” Therefore, Joseph continued on after his brothers, and he found them at Dothan.
18 And they saw him afar off, —and, ere yet he drew near unto them, they conspired against him, to put him to death.
And, when they had seen him from afar, before he approached them, they decided to kill him.
19 And they said each man unto his brother, Lo! that master of dreams yonder, coming in!
And they said one to another: “Behold, the dreamer approaches.
20 Now, therefore, come! let us slay him and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say A cruel beast, hath devoured him, —And let us see what will become of his dreams.
Come, let us kill him and cast him into the old cistern. And let us say: ‘an evil wild beast has devoured him.’ And then it will become apparent what his dreams will do for him.”
21 And Reuben heard it, and rescued him out of their hand, and said Let us not smite him, so as to take his life!
But Reuben, on hearing this, strove to free him from their hands, and he said:
22 And Reuben said unto them Do not shed blood! Cast him into this pit, which is in the wilderness, but put not forth, a hand, against him! that he might rescue him out of their hand, to restore him unto his father.
“Do not take away his life, nor shed blood. But throw him into this cistern, which is in the wilderness, and so keep your hands harmless.” But he said this, wanting to rescue him from their hands, so as to return him to his father.
23 So it came to pass, when Joseph had come in unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph of his tunic, the long tunic which was upon him,
And so, as soon as he came to his brothers, they very quickly stripped him of his tunic, which was ankle-length and woven of many colors,
24 and took him, and cast him into the pit, but the pit, was empty, there was in it no water.
and they cast him into an old cistern, which held no water.
25 And when they had sat down to eat bread, they lifted up their eyes and looked, and lo! a caravan of Ishmaelites, coming in from Gilead, —and, their camels, were bearing tragacanth gum, and balsam and cistus-gum, they were going their way, to take them down to Egypt.
And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ishmaelites, travelers coming from Gilead, with their camels, carrying spices, and resin, and oil of myrrh into Egypt.
26 So Judah said unto his brethren, —What profit that we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
Therefore, Judah said to his brothers: “What will it profit us, if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
27 Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites; but let not, our own hand, be upon him, for our own brother, our own flesh, is he And his brethren hearkened.
It is better that he be sold to the Ishmaelites, and then our hands will not be defiled. For he is our brother and our flesh.” His brothers agreed to his words.
28 And there passed by certain Midianites travelling merchants, so they drew forth and uplifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites, for twenty pieces of silver, —and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
And when the Midianite merchants were passing by, they drew him from the cistern, and they sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And these led him into Egypt.
29 And Reuben returned unto the pit, and lo Joseph was not in the pit, so he rent his clothes;
And Reuben, returning to the cistern, did not find the boy.
30 and returned unto his brethren, and said, —The, lad, is not! And, I, oh where can I, go?
And rending his garments, he went to his brothers and said, “The boy is not present, and so where shall I go?”
31 And they took Joseph’s tunic, —and slaughtered a buck of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood;
Then they took his tunic, and they dipped it in the blood of a young goat, which they had killed,
32 and sent the long tunic and brought it in unto their father, and said This, have we found! Examine, we pray thee, whether it is the tunic of thy son, or not!
sending those who carried it to their father, and they said: “We found this. See whether it is the tunic of your son or not.”
33 So he examined it, and said—The tunic of my son! A cruel beast hath devoured him, —torn in pieces—torn in pieces, is Joseph!
And when the father acknowledged it, he said: “It is the tunic of my son. An evil wild beast has eaten him; a beast has devoured Joseph.”
34 And Jacob rent his garments, and put sackcloth upon his loins, —and mourned over his son many days.
And tearing his garments, he was clothed in haircloth, mourning his son for a long time.
35 And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to console him but he refused to be consoled, and said—Surely I will go down unto my son mourning to hades! And his father wept for him. (Sheol h7585)
Then, when all of his sons gathered together to ease their father’s sorrow, he was not willing to accept consolation, but he said: “I will descend in mourning to my son in the underworld.” And while he persevered in weeping, (Sheol h7585)
36 Now, the Midianites, sold him into Egypt, —to Potiphar courtier of Pharaoh, chief of the royal executioners.
the Midianites in Egypt sold Joseph to Potiphar, a eunuch of Pharaoh, instructor of the soldiers.
