Genesis 37

1 Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided, the land of Canaan.

2 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 his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors.

4 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 Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.

6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had:

7 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 “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 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 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 brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said.

12 Some time later, Joseph’s brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks near Shechem.

13 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 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 a man found him wandering in the field and asked, “What are you looking for?”

16 “I am looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Can you please tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?”

17 “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 Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him.

19 “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another.

20 “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 When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said.

22 “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 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 threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it.

25 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 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?

27 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 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 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,

30 returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”

31 Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood.

32 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 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 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.

35 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.

36 Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.

1 ¶ And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.

2 These [are] the generations of Jacob. Joseph, [being] seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad [was] with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.

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.

4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

5 ¶ And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told [it] his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.

6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:

7 For, behold, we [were] binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.

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.

9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance 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?

11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

12 ¶ And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in 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].

14 And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to 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?

16 And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed [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.

18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.

20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

21 And Reuben heard [it], and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.

22 And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, [but] cast him into this pit that [is] in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

23 ¶ And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, [his] coat of [many] colours that [was] on him;

24 And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit [was] empty, [there was] no water in it.

25 And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry [it] down to Egypt.

26 And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit [is it] if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?

27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he [is] our brother [and] our flesh. And his brethren were content.

28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty [pieces] of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

29 And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph [was] not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.

30 And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child [is] not; and I, whither shall I go?

31 ¶ And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the 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 no.

33 And he knew it, and said, [It is] my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.

34 And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, 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 into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.

36 And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, [and] captain of the guard.

1 And Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger in the land of Canaan.

2 And these are the generations of Jacob: Joseph was seventeen years old when he became a shepherd of cattle with his brethren: and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah his father's wives, and brought them before their father, where there was an evil cry against them.

3 And Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he begat him in his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.

4 When therefore his brethren saw that their father loved him better than all his brethren, they were enemies to him and could not speak a kind word to him.

5 And once Joseph had a dream, and told it unto his brethren; and they became more hostile unto him.

6 For he said unto them: Hear, I pray thee, what I have dreamed.

7 And it came to pass, that we bound sheaves in the field, and my sheaf rose up, and stood, and your sheaves round about bowed down against my sheaf.

8 And his brethren said unto him, Shall thou be our king, and reign over us? And they became more hostile to him because of his dream and his speech.

9 And he had another dream, and told it his brethren, saying, Behold, I have had another dream. The sun and the moon and the eleven stars were bowing down before me.

10 And when it was told his father and his brethren, his father rebuked him, saying unto him, What dream is this that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren come and worship thee?

11 And his brethren envied him. But his father kept these words.

12 And his brethren went to feed their father's cattle in Shechem,

13 And Israel said unto Joseph, Dost not thy brethren keep the cattle in Shechem? Come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said, Here am I.

14 And he said, Go and see whether it be well with thy brethren, and with the cattle; and tell me again how it is. And he sent him out of the valley of Hebron to go to Shechem.

15 And when a man found him going astray in the field, he asked him, saying, Whom seekest thou?

16 And he answered: I seek my brethren; rather, tell me where they shepherd.

17 And the man said, They are departed thence: for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. So Joseph followed his brethren, and found them at Dothan.

18 And when they saw him afar off, before he came nigh unto them, they smote to kill him,

19 And they said one to another, Behold, the dreamer cometh.

20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into a pit, and say that an evil beast hath devoured him; and it shall be seen what his dreams are.

21 And when Reuben heard it, he would have delivered him out of their hands, saying, Let us not kill him.

22 And again, Reuben said unto them: Shed not blood, but cast him into the pit that is in the wilderness, and lay not your hand upon him. And he would deliver him out of their hand, that he might bring him again unto his father.

23 And when Joseph was come to his brethren, they stripped him of his coat, with the coat of many colours that he had on;

24 And they took him, and cast him into a pit: but that pit was empty, and there was no water in it.

25 And they sat down to eat. And they lifted up their eyes, and saw a company of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, and balm, and myrrh; and they went down into Egypt.

26 And Judah said unto his brethren: What profit is it that we slay our brother, and hide his blood?

27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, that our hands be not offended against him: for he is our brother, our flesh and blood. And they obeyed him.

28 And when the Midianites the merchants passed by, they drew him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver; and they brought him into Egypt.

29 And when Reuben was come again to the pit, he found not Joseph therein, he tore his dress

30 And he came again to his brethren, and said, The lad is not there; where shall I go?

31 And they took Joseph's skirt, and slew a kid, and dipped the skirt in the blood.

32 And they sent the coat of many colours, and brought it to their father, saying, This we have found; see whether it be thy son's coat or not.

33 And he knew him, and said, It is my son's skirt; an evil beast hath devoured it, a ravening beast hath torn Joseph in pieces.

34 And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son a long time.

35 And all his sons and his daughters came up to comfort him: but he would not be comforted, and said: I will go down with sorrow into the pit to my son. And his father wept over him.

36 But the Midianites sold him in Egypt unto Potiphar, Pharaoh's chamberlain and steward.