1 S o Jacob dwelt in the land in which his father had been a stranger and sojourner, in the land of Canaan.

Now Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.

2 T his is the history of the descendants of Jacob and this is Jacob’s line. Joseph, when he was seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought to his father a bad report of them.

This is the history of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father.

3 N ow Israel loved Joseph more than all his children because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a long tunic with sleeves.

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors.

4 B ut when his brothers saw that their father loved more than all of his brothers, they hated him and could not say, Peace to him or speak peaceably to him.

But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.

5 N ow Joseph had a dream and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him still more.

Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more.

6 A nd he said to them, Listen now and hear, I pray you, this dream that I have dreamed:

So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed:

7 W e were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright, and behold, your sheaves stood round about my sheaf and bowed down!

There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.”

8 H is brothers said to him, Shall you indeed reign over us? Or are you going to have us as your subjects and dominate us? And they hated him all the more for his dreams and for what he said.

And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

9 B ut Joseph dreamed yet another dream and told it to his brothers. He said, See here, I have dreamed again, and behold, eleven stars the sun and the moon bowed down and did reverence to me!

Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”

10 A nd he told it to his father his brethren. But his father rebuked him and said to him, What is the meaning of this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come to bow down ourselves to the earth and do homage to you?

So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?”

11 J oseph’s brothers envied him and were jealous of him, but his father observed the saying and pondered over it.

And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind. Joseph Sold by His Brothers

12 J oseph’s brothers went to shepherd and feed their father’s flock near Shechem.

Then his brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.

13 I srael said to Joseph, Do not your brothers shepherd my flock at Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them. And he said, Here I am.

And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” So he said to him, “Here I am.”

14 A nd said to him, Go, I pray you, see whether everything is all right with your brothers and with the flock; then come back and bring me word. So he sent him out of the Hebron Valley, and he came to Shechem.

Then he said to him, “Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.” So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem.

15 A nd a certain man found him, and behold, he had lost his way and was wandering in the open country. The man asked him, What are you trying to find?

Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, “What are you seeking?”

16 A nd he said, I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, I pray you, where they are pasturing our flocks.

So he said, “I am seeking my brothers. Please tell me where they are feeding their flocks. ”

17 B ut the man said, they have gone. I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

And the man said, “They have departed from here, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan.

18 A nd when they saw him far off, even before he came near to them, they conspired to kill him.

Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him.

19 A nd they said one to another, See, here comes this dreamer and master of dreams.

Then they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming!

20 S o come on now, let us kill him and throw his body into some pit; then we will say, Some wild and ferocious animal has devoured him; and we shall see what will become of his dreams!

Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!”

21 N ow Reuben heard it and he delivered him out of their hands by saying, Let us not kill him.

But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.”

22 A nd Reuben said to them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit or well that is out here in the wilderness and lay no hand on him. He was trying to get Joseph out of their hands in order to rescue him and deliver him again to his father.

And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.

23 W hen Joseph had come to his brothers, they stripped him of his long garment which he was wearing;

So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him.

24 T hen they took him and cast him into the pit which was empty; there was no water in it.

Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it.

25 T hen they sat down to eat their lunch. When they looked up, behold, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm (balsam), and myrrh or ladanum, going on their way to carry them down to Egypt.

And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt.

26 A nd Judah said to his brothers, What do we gain if we slay our brother and conceal his blood?

So Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?

27 C ome, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brothers consented.

Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers listened.

28 T hen as the Midianite merchants were passing by, the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the well. And they sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took Joseph into Egypt.

Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.

29 T hen Reuben returned to the pit; and behold, Joseph was not in the pit, and he rent his clothes.

Then Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes.

30 H e rejoined his brothers and said, The boy is not there! And I, where shall I go ?

And he returned to his brothers and said, “The lad is no more; and I, where shall I go?”

31 T hen they took Joseph’s long garment, killed a young goat, and dipped the garment in the blood;

So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood.

32 A nd they sent the garment to their father, saying, We have found this! Examine and decide whether it is your son’s tunic or not.

Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, “We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son’s tunic or not?”

33 H e said, My son’s long garment! An evil beast has devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.

And he recognized it and said, “ It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.”

34 A nd Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned many days for his son.

Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days.

35 A nd all his sons and daughters attempted to console him, but he refused to be comforted and said, I will go down to Sheol (the place of the dead) to my son mourning. And his father wept for him.

And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, “For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.” Thus his father wept for him.

36 A nd the Midianites sold in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain and chief executioner of the guard.

Now the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.