Genesis 37
1 So Jacob dwelt in the land of the sojournings of his father, —in the land of Canaan.
Jacob lived in the land where his father was staying, in the land of Canaan.
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.
These were the events concerning Jacob. Joseph, who was a young man seventeen years old, was guarding the flock with his brothers. He was with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives. Joseph brought an unfavorable report about them to their father.
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 more than all his sons because he was the son of his old age. He made him a beautiful garment.
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,
His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers. They hated him and would not speak kindly to him.
5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and told it to his brethren, and they went on yet more to hate him.
Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told his brothers about it. They hated him even more.
6 And he said unto them, Hear ye I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
He said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I dreamed.
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.
Behold, we were tying bundles of grain in the field and behold, my bundle rose and stood upright, and behold, your bundles came around and bowed down to my bundle.”
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 said to him, “Will you really reign over us? Will you actually rule over us?” They hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
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.
He dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers. He said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream: The sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to 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?
He told it to his father just as to his brothers, and his father rebuked him. He said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come to bow down to the ground to you?”
11 Then were his brethren jealous of him, but his father, marked the word.
His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
12 Now his brethren went their way, —to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
His brothers went to tend their father's flock in Shechem.
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 Joseph, “Are not your brothers tending the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” Joseph said to him, “I am ready.”
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.
He said to him, “Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers and well with the flock, and bring me word.” So Jacob sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and Joseph went to 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?
A certain man found Joseph. Behold, Joseph was wandering in a field. The man asked him, “What do you seek?”
16 And he said, My brethren, am, I, seeking, —do tell me, I pray thee, where they are feeding their flock.
Joseph said, “I am seeking my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are tending the flock.”
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.
The man said, “They left this place, for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'” Joseph went after his brothers and 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.
They saw him from a distance, and before he came near to them, they plotted against him to kill him.
19 And they said each man unto his brother, Lo! that master of dreams yonder, coming in!
His brothers said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is approaching.
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 now, therefore, let us kill him and cast him into one of the pits. We will say, 'A wild animal has devoured him.' We will see what will become of his dreams.”
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!
Reuben heard it and rescued him from their hand. He said, “Let us not take his life.”
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.
Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand upon him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to bring him back 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,
It came about that when Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him of his beautiful garment.
24 and took him, and cast him into the pit, but the pit, was empty, there was in it no water.
They took him and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty with no water in it.
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.
They sat down to eat bread. They lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh. They were traveling to carry them down to Egypt.
26 So Judah said unto his brethren, —What profit that we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and cover up 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.
Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands upon him. For he is our brother, our flesh.” His brothers listened to him.
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.
The Midianite merchants passed by. His brothers drew Joseph up and lifted him up out of the pit. They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites carried Joseph into Egypt.
29 And Reuben returned unto the pit, and lo Joseph was not in the pit, so he rent his clothes;
Reuben returned to the pit, and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit. He tore his clothes.
30 and returned unto his brethren, and said, —The, lad, is not! And, I, oh where can I, go?
He returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is not there! And I, where can I go?”
31 And they took Joseph’s tunic, —and slaughtered a buck of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood;
They slaughtered a goat and then took Joseph's garment and dipped it into the blood.
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!
Then they brought it to their father and said, “We found this. Please see whether it is your son's clothing 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!
Jacob recognized it and said, “It is my son's clothing. A wild animal has devoured him. Joseph has certainly been torn to pieces.”
34 And Jacob rent his garments, and put sackcloth upon his loins, —and mourned over his son many days.
Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth upon his loins. He mourned for his son many days.
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)
All his sons and daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He said, “Indeed I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” His father wept for him. (Sheol h7585)
36 Now, the Midianites, sold him into Egypt, —to Potiphar courtier of Pharaoh, chief of the royal executioners.
The Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard.
