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

Jacob lived in the land where his father had lived as 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 story of the children of Jacob and of their children. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was caring for the flock with his brothers. The boy was with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph told his father about how bad they were.

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 sons, because Joseph was born when he was an old man. And Israel made him a long coat 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.

His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers. So they hated Joseph and could not speak a kind word to him.

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

Then Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, 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:

He said to them, “Listen to the dream that I have had.

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!

We were gathering grain in the field. My bundle of grain stood up. Your bundles of grain gathered around it and bowed down to my bundle.”

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.

Then his brothers said to him, “Are you going to be our king? Are you going to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for what he said.

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 had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. He said, “I have had another dream. The sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing 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?

He told it to his father and to his brothers. His father spoke sharp words to him, saying, “What is this dream you have had? Will I and your mother and brothers come to bow ourselves down to the ground in front of you?”

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

Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him. But his father thought about what he said. Joseph Is Sold and Taken to Egypt

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.

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

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 Israel said, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock. Then come and tell me.” So he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came 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?

A man found him walking through a field, and asked him, “What are you looking for?”

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

Joseph said, “I am looking for my brothers. Tell me where they are feeding the flock.”

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 moved from here. For I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph followed his brothers and found them at Dothan.

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

When they saw him far away, before he came near them, they made plans to kill him.

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

They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer!

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!

Now come and let us kill him and throw him into one of the deep holes. Then we will say that a wild animal ate him. And we will see what becomes 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 this and saved him from their hands, saying, “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.

Reuben then said, “Do not put him to death. Throw him into this hole here in the desert. But do not lay a hand on him.” He wanted to be able to save Joseph and return him to his father.

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

So when Joseph came to his brothers, they tore off his coat, the coat of many colors that he was wearing.

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

And they took him and threw him into the hole. The hole was empty and had 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.

Then they sat down to eat. When they looked up, they saw a group of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. They were taking spices and perfumes on their camels to Egypt.

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

Judah said to his brothers, “What do we get by killing our brother and covering 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, let us 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.

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.

Some Midianite traders were passing by. So the brothers pulled Joseph up out of the hole. And they sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces 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 hole. When he saw that Joseph was not in the hole, he tore his clothes.

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

He returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is not there! What can I do?”

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 coat, killed a male goat, and put the blood on the coat.

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.

They sent the coat of many colors to their father. And they said, “We found this. Is it your son’s coat or not?”

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

Jacob looked at it and said, “It is my son’s coat! A wild animal has eaten him! For sure Joseph has been torn to pieces!”

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

So Jacob tore his clothes and dressed in clothes made from hair. He had sorrow 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.

All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him. But he would not be comforted. He said, “I will go down to the grave in sorrow for my son.” And his father cried 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.

The Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, the head of the soldiers of Pharaoh’s house.