37
1 Jacob
lived in the land
of his father’s travels,
in the land of
Canaan.
2 This
is the history
of the generations
of Jacob. Joseph,
being seventeen
years old, was
feeding the flock
with his brothers.
He was a
boy with the
sons of Bilhah
and Zilpah, his
father’s wives. Joseph
brought an evil
report of them
to their father.
3 Now
Israel loved Joseph
more than all
his children,
because he was
the son of
his old age,
and he made
him a tunic
of many colors.
4 His brothers
saw that
their father loved him
more than all
his brothers, and
they hated him,
and couldn’t speak
peaceably to him.
5 Joseph
dreamed a dream,
and he told
it to his brothers,
and they hated him
all the more.
6 He
said to them, “Please
hear this dream
which I have
dreamed:
7 for
behold, we
were binding sheaves in
the field, and
behold, my sheaf
arose and also
stood upright; and
behold, your sheaves came
around, and bowed
down to my sheaf.”
8 His brothers
asked him, “Will
you indeed reign
over us? Will
you indeed have
dominion over us?”
They hated him
all the more
for his dreams
and for his
words.
9 He
dreamed yet
another dream, and
told it to
his brothers, and said, “Behold, I have dreamed
yet another dream:
and behold, the
sun and the
moon and eleven
stars bowed down
to me.”
10 He
told it to
his father and to
his brothers. His father
rebuked him,
and said to him,
“What is this
dream that you
have dreamed? Will
I and your mother
and your brothers indeed come
to bow ourselves
down to the earth
before you?”
11 His brothers
envied him, but
his father kept
this saying
in mind.
12 His brothers
went to feed
their father’s flock
in Shechem.
13 Israel said
to Joseph, “Aren’t
your brothers feeding
the flock in
Shechem? Come, and
I will send
you to them.”
He said to him, “Here
I am.”
14 He
said to him, “Go
now, see whether
it is well
with your brothers,
and well with
the flock; and
bring me word
again.” So he
sent him out
of the valley
of Hebron, and
he came to
Shechem.
15 A certain
man found him, and
behold, he was
wandering in the
field. The man
asked him, “What
are you looking
for?”
16 He said, “I
am looking for
my brothers. Tell
me, please, where
they are feeding
the flock.”
17 The
man said, “They
have left here,
for I heard
them say, ‘Let’s
go to Dothan.’ ”
Joseph went after
his brothers, and
found them in
Dothan.
18 They
saw him afar
off, and before
he came near
to them, they
conspired against him
to kill him.
19 They said
to one another, “Behold,
this dreamer comes.
20 Come
now therefore, and
let’s kill him,
and cast him
into one of
the pits, and we
will say, ‘An evil
animal has devoured
him.’ We will
see what will
become of his
dreams.”
21 Reuben
heard it, and
delivered him out
of their hand,
and said, “Let’s
not take his
life.”
22 Reuben said
to them, “Shed
no blood. Throw
him into this pit
that is in
the wilderness,
but lay no
hand on him”—that
he might deliver
him out of
their hand, to
restore him to
his father.
23 When
Joseph came to
his brothers, they
stripped Joseph of
his tunic, the
tunic of many colors
that was on
him;
24 and
they took him,
and threw him
into the pit.
The pit was empty.
There was no water
in it.
25 They
sat down to
eat bread, and
they lifted up
their eyes and
looked, and saw
a caravan of
Ishmaelites coming
from Gilead, with
their camels
bearing spices and
balm and myrrh,
going to carry
it down to
Egypt.
26 Judah said
to his brothers, “What
profit is it
if we kill
our brother and
conceal his blood?
27 Come,
and let’s sell
him to the
Ishmaelites, and
not let our
hand be on
him; for he
is our brother,
our flesh.”
His brothers listened
to him.
28 Midianites
who were merchants
passed by, and
they drew and
lifted up Joseph
out of the pit,
and sold Joseph
to the Ishmaelites
for twenty pieces
of silver. The
merchants brought
Joseph into Egypt.
29 Reuben
returned to
the pit, and saw
that Joseph wasn’t
in the pit; and
he tore
his clothes.
30 He
returned to
his brothers, and said, “The
child is no more;
and I, where will I
go?”
31 They
took Joseph’s
tunic, and killed
a male goat,
and dipped the
tunic in the
blood.
32 They
took the tunic
of many colors,
and they brought
it to their
father, and said, “We
have found this.
Examine it, now,
and see if
it is your
son’s tunic or
not.”
33 He
recognized it,
and said, “It is
my son’s tunic. An
evil animal
has devoured him.
Joseph is without
doubt torn in
pieces.”
34 Jacob
tore his clothes,
and put sackcloth
on his waist,
and mourned for
his son many
days.
35 All
his sons and
all his daughters
rose up to
comfort him, but
he refused to
be comforted.
He said, “For I
will go down
to Sheol
to my son,
mourning.” His
father wept for
him.
36 The
Midianites sold him
into Egypt to
Potiphar, an
officer of
Pharaoh’s, the
captain of the
guard.