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
coat 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 said to him, "Will you indeed reign over us? Or 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 you to the earth?" 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: and the man asked him, saying, "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 us 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 one to 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 It
happened, when Joseph came to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his
coat, the coat 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 was 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. They 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 coat, and
killed a male goat, and dipped the coat in the blood. 32 They took the
coat of many colors, and they brought it to their father, and said, "We have
found this. Examine it, now, whether it is your son's coat or not."
33 He recognized it, and said, "It is my son's coat. An evil animal has
devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces." 34 Jacob tore his
clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins, 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*1 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.
1 Sheol is
the place of the dead or the grave.
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