Genesis 37
37
1And Jacob dwelt in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan. 2These 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. 3Now 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 colors. 4And his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren; and they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
5And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 6And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: 7for, 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. 8And 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. 9And 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. 10And 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? 11And his brethren envied him; but his father kept the saying in mind.
12And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem. 13And Israel said unto Joseph, Are not thy brethren feeding the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I. 14And he said to him, Go now, see whether it is 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. 15And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou? 16And he said, I am seeking my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they are feeding the flock. 17And 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.
18And they saw him afar off, and before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. 19And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. 20Come 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. 21And Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, Let us not take his life. 22And 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. 23And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph of his coat, the coat of many colors that was on him; 24and they took him, and cast him into the pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
25And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. 26And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood? 27Come, 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. 28And 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.
29And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. 30And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go? 31And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a he-goat, and dipped the coat in the blood; 32and they sent the coat of many colors, and they brought it to their father, and said, This have we found: know now whether it is thy son’s coat or not. 33And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat: an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces. 34And Jacob rent his garments, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. 35And 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 Sheol to my son mourning. And his father wept for him. 36And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard.
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Genesis 37: ASV
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Genesis 37
37
Joseph’s Dreams
1Jacob lived in #See ch. 36:7the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.
2These are the generations of Jacob.
Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought #[1 Sam. 2:23, 24]a bad report of them to their father. 3Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was #ch. 44:20 the son of his old age. And he made him #ver. 23, 32a robe of many colors.#37:3 See Septuagint, Vulgate; or (with Syriac) a robe with long sleeves. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain; also verses 23, 32 4But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.
5Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, #ch. 42:6, 9 my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and #ch. 43:26; 44:14bowed down to my sheaf.” 8His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
9Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10But when 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? Shall I and #[ch. 35:18] your mother and your brothers indeed come #ver. 7, 9to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11And #Acts 7:9 his brothers were jealous of him, #[Luke 2:19, 51]but his father kept the saying in mind.
Joseph Sold by His Brothers
12Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near #See ch. 33:18Shechem. 13And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” 14So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of #ch. 13:18; 35:27Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 15And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” 16“I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” 17And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to #2 Kgs. 6:13Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at #2 Kgs. 6:13Dothan.
18They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them #[Ps. 37:12, 32]they conspired against him to kill him. 19They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20Come now, #ver. 26let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits.#37:20 Or cisterns; also verses 22, 24 Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” 21But when #ch. 42:22Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—#ver. 29, 30that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. 23So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, #ver. 3the robe of many colors that he wore. 24And they took him and #[Jer. 38:6; Lam. 3:53]threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.
25Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a #Job 6:19; Isa. 21:13 caravan of #[ver. 28, 36; ch. 39:1] Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing #ch. 43:11; Jer. 8:22; 46:11gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it #ver. 20if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and #[1 Sam. 18:17]let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28Then #ver. 36; Judg. 8:22, 24 Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and #ch. 45:4; Ps. 105:17; Acts 7:9sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels#37:28 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.
29When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he #ch. 44:13; Num. 14:6; 2 Sam. 1:11; 3:31; Job 1:20tore his clothes 30and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy #ch. 42:13, 32, 36; 44:31; Jer. 31:15; Lam. 5:7is gone, and I, where shall I go?” 31Then they took #ver. 23Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 33And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. #ver. 20; ch. 44:28A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” 34Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35All his sons and all his daughters #[2 Sam. 12:17] rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, #ch. 42:38; 44:29, 31I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. 36Meanwhile #ver. 28; [ver. 25; ch. 39:1] the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, #ch. 40:3, 4; 41:10, 12the captain of the guard.
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