Genesis 37

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

²And these are his generations. Joseph, when he was sixteen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers, when he was still a boy. And he was with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, the wives of his father. And he accused his brothers to their father of a most sinful crime.

³Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had conceived him in his old age. And he made him a tunic, woven of many colors.

⁴Then his brothers, seeing that he was loved by his father more than all his other sons, hated him, and they were not able to say anything peacefully to him.

⁵Then it also happened that he recounted the vision of a dream to his brothers, for which reason a greater hatred began to be nurtured.

⁶And he said to them, “Listen to my dream that I saw.

⁷I thought we were binding sheaves in the field. And my sheaf seemed to rise up and stand, and your sheaves, standing in a circle, reverenced my sheaf.”

⁸His brothers responded: “Would you be our king? Or will we be subject to your dominion?” Therefore, this matter of his dreams and words provided kindling to their envy and hatred.

⁹Likewise, he saw another dream, which he explained to his brothers, saying, “I saw by a dream, as if the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars were reverencing me.”

¹⁰And when he had related this to his father and brothers, his father rebuked him, and he said: “What does it mean to you, this dream that you have seen? Should I, and your mother, and your brothers reverence you upon the earth?”

¹¹Therefore, his brothers were envious of him. Yet truly, his father considered the matter silently.

¹²And while his brothers were lodging at Shechem, pasturing their father’s flocks,

¹³Israel said to him: “Your brothers are pasturing the sheep at Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” And when he answered,

¹⁴“I am ready,” he said to him, “Go, and see if everything is prospering with your brothers and the cattle, and report to me what is happening.” So, having been sent from the valley of Hebron, he arrived at Shechem.

¹⁵And a man found him wandering in a field, and he asked him what he was seeking.

¹⁶So he responded: “I seek my brothers. Tell me where they pasture the flocks.”

¹⁷And the man said to him: “They have withdrawn from this place. But I heard them saying, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” Therefore, Joseph continued on after his brothers, and he found them at Dothan.

¹⁸And, when they had seen him from afar, before he approached them, they decided to kill him.

¹⁹And they said one to another: “Behold, the dreamer approaches.

²⁰Come, let us kill him and cast him into the old cistern. And let us say: ‘an evil wild beast has devoured him.’ And then it will become apparent what his dreams will do for him.”

²¹But Reuben, on hearing this, strove to free him from their hands, and he said:

²²“Do not take away his life, nor shed blood. But throw him into this cistern, which is in the wilderness, and so keep your hands harmless.” But he said this, wanting to rescue him from their hands, so as to return him to his father.

²³And so, as soon as he came to his brothers, they very quickly stripped him of his tunic, which was ankle-length and woven of many colors,

²⁴and they cast him into an old cistern, which held no water.

²⁵And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ishmaelites, travelers coming from Gilead, with their camels, carrying spices, and resin, and oil of myrrh into Egypt.

²⁶Therefore, Judah said to his brothers: “What will it profit us, if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?

²⁷It is better that he be sold to the Ishmaelites, and then our hands will not be defiled. For he is our brother and our flesh.” His brothers agreed to his words.

²⁸And when the Midianite merchants were passing by, they drew him from the cistern, and they sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And these led him into Egypt.

²⁹And Reuben, returning to the cistern, did not find the boy.

³⁰And rending his garments, he went to his brothers and said, “The boy is not present, and so where shall I go?”

³¹Then they took his tunic, and they dipped it in the blood of a young goat, which they had killed,

³²sending those who carried it to their father, and they said: “We found this. See whether it is the tunic of your son or not.”

³³And when the father acknowledged it, he said: “It is the tunic of my son. An evil wild beast has eaten him; a beast has devoured Joseph.”

³⁴And tearing his garments, he was clothed in haircloth, mourning his son for a long time.

³⁵Then, when all of his sons gathered together to ease their father’s sorrow, he was not willing to accept consolation, but he said: “I will descend in mourning to my son in the underworld.” And while he persevered in weeping,

³⁶the Midianites in Egypt sold Joseph to Potiphar, a eunuch of Pharaoh, instructor of the soldiers.

Genesis 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 flock 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 hem, 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, and 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 Sechem, 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 not 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 all his 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.