Genesis 37
37
1And Jacob dwelt in the land of Chanaan wherein his father sojourned.
2And these are his generations. Joseph, when he was sixteen years old, was feeding the dock with his brethren, being but a boy. And he was with the sons of Bala and of Zelpha his father's wives. And he accused his brethren to his father of a most wicked crime.
3Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had him in his old age: and he made him a coat of divers colours.
4And his brethren seeing that he was loved by his father, more than all his sons, hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.
5Now it fell out also that he told his brethren a dream, that he had dreamed: which occasioned them to hate him the more.
6And he said to them: Hear my dream which I dreamed.
7I thought we were binding sheaves in the field: and my sheaf arose as it were, end stood, and your sheaves standing about, bowed down before my sheaf.
8His brethren answered: Shalt thou be our king? Or shall we be subject to thy dominion? Therefore this matter of his dreams and words ministered nourishment to their envy and hatred.
9He dreamed also another dream, which he told his brethren, saying: I saw in a dream, as it were the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars worshipping me.
10And when he had told this to his father and brethren, his father rebuked him, and said: What meaneth this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother, and thy brethren worship thee upon the earth?
11His brethren therefore envied him: but his father considered the thing with himself.
12And when his brethren abode in Sichem feeding their father's flocks,
13Israel said to him: Thy brethren feed the sheep in Sichem: come, I will send thee to them. And when he answered:
14I am ready: he said to him; Go, and see if all things be well with thy brethren, and the cattle; and bring me word again what is doing. So being sent from the vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem.
15And a man found him there wandering in the field, and asked what he sought.
16But he answered: I seek my brethren; tell me where they feed the flocks.
17And the man said to him: They are departed from this place; for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothain. And Joseph went forward after his brethren, and found them in Dothain.
18And when they saw him afar off, before he came nigh them, they thought to kill him.
19And said one to another: Behold, the dreamer cometh.
20Come, let us kill him, and cast him into some old pit; and we will say: Some evil beast hath devoured him: and then it shall appear what his dreams avail him:
21And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and said:
22Do not take away his life, nor shed his blood: but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless. Now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands and to restore him to his father.
23And as soon as he came to his brethren, they forthwith stript him of his outside coat, that was of divers colours:
24And cast him into an old pit, where there was no water.
25And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ismaelites on their way coming from Galaad, with their camels, carrying spices, and balm, and myrrh to Egypt.
26And Juda said to his brethren: What will it profit us to kill our brother, and conceal his blood?
27It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our hands be not defiled: for he is our brother and our flesh. His brethren agreed to his words.
28And when the Madianite merchants passed by, they drew him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ismaelites, for twenty pieces of silver: and they led him into Egypt.
29And Ruben, returning to the pit, found not the boy:
30And rending his garments he went to his brethren, and said: The boy doth not appear, and whither shall I go?
31And they took his coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid, which they had killed.
32Sending some to carry it to their father, and to say: This we have found; see whether it be thy son's coat, or not.
33And the father acknowledging it, said: It is my son's coat; an evil wild beast hath eaten him; a beast hath devoured Joseph.
34And tearing his garments, he put on sackcloth, mourning for his son a long time.
35And alibis children being gathered together to comfort their father in his sorrow, he would not receive comfort, but said: I will go down to my son into hell, mourning. And whilst he continued weeping,
36The Madianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Putiphar, an eunuch of Pharao, captain of the soldiers.
An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Genesis 37
37
Joseph’s Dreams
1Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had lived as a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 2These are the records of the generations of Jacob.
Joseph, when he was seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers, while he was still a youth, along with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father. 3Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his other sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a #37:3 Or full-length tunicmulticolored tunic. 4And his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him #37:4 Lit in peaceon friendly terms.
5Then Joseph #37:5 Lit dreamedhad a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6He said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I have #37:6 Lit dreamedhad; 7for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf stood up and also remained standing; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8Then his brothers said to him, “Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
9Then he #37:9 Lit dreamedhad yet another dream, and informed his brothers of it, and said, “Behold, I have #37:9 Lit dreamedhad yet another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10He also told it to his father as well as to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have #37:10 Lit dreamedhad? Am I and your mother and your brothers actually going to come to bow down to the ground before you?” 11And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
12Then his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock in Shechem. 13And Israel said to Joseph, “Are your brothers not pasturing the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “#37:13 Lit Behold meI will go.” 14Then he said to him, “Go now and see about the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15A man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, “#37:15 Lit saying, “What...?”What are you looking for?” 16He said, “I am looking for my brothers; please tell me where they are pasturing the flock.” 17Then the man said, “They have moved from here; for I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
The Plot against Joseph
18 # 37:18 Or And When they saw him from a distance, and before he came closer to them, they plotted against him to put him to death. 19They said to one another, “#37:19 Lit Behold, this master of dreams comesHere comes this dreamer! 20Now then, come and let’s kill him, and throw him into one of the pits; and we will say, ‘A vicious animal devoured him.’ Then we will see what will become of his dreams!” 21But Reuben heard this and rescued him out of their hands #37:21 Lit and saidby saying, “Let’s not #37:21 Lit strike his soultake his life.” 22Then Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—so that later he might rescue him out of their hands, to return him to his father. 23So it came about, when Joseph #37:23 Lit came toreached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the #37:23 Or full-length tunicmulticolored tunic that was on him; 24and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, without any water in it.
25Then they sat down to eat #37:25 Lit breada meal. But as they raised their eyes and looked, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels carrying labdanum resin, balsam, and #37:25 Or resinous barkmyrrh, #37:25 Lit goingon their way to bring them down to Egypt. 26And Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it for us to kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him out and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold #37:28 Lit Josephhim to the Ishmaelites for #37:28 About 10 oz. or 280 gmtwenty shekels of silver. So they brought Joseph into Egypt.
29Now Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he tore his garments. 30He returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is not there; as for me, where am I to go?” 31So they took Joseph’s tunic, and slaughtered a male goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood; 32and they sent the #37:32 Or full-length tunicmulticolored tunic and brought it to their father and said, “We found this; please #37:32 Or recognizeexamine it to see whether it is your son’s tunic or not.” 33Then he #37:33 Or recognizedexamined it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A vicious animal has devoured him; Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 34So Jacob tore his clothes, and put on a sackcloth undergarment over his waist, and mourned for his son many days. 35Then all his sons and all his daughters got up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, “Surely I will go down to Sheol in mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him. 36Meanwhile, the #37:36 Lit MedanitesMidianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer, the captain of the bodyguard.
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