1 A nd Jacob dwelt in the land where his father sojourned—in the land of Canaan.

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

2 T hese are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, fed the flock with his brethren; and he was doing service with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought to his father an evil report of them.

These are the records of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, when 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.

3 A nd Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was son of his old age; and he made him a vest of many colours.

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic.

4 A nd his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, and they hated him, and could not greet him with friendliness.

His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms.

5 A nd Joseph dreamed a dream, and told to his brethren, and they hated him yet the more.

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

6 A nd he said to them, Hear, I pray you, this dream, which I have dreamt:

He said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I have had;

7 B ehold, we were binding sheaves in the fields, and lo, my sheaf rose up, and remained standing; and behold, your sheaves came round about and bowed down to my sheaf.

for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf rose up and also stood erect; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf.”

8 A nd his brethren said to him, Wilt thou indeed be a king over us? wilt thou indeed rule over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams and for his words.

Then 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.

9 A nd he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamt another dream, and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me.

Now he had still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said, “Lo, I have had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

10 A nd he told to his father and to his brethren. And his father rebuked him, and said to him, What is this dream which thou hast dreamt? Shall we indeed come, I and thy mother and thy brethren, to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?

He related it to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have had? Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground?”

11 A nd his brethren envied him; but his father kept the saying.

His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.

12 A nd his brethren went to feed their father's flock at Shechem.

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

13 A nd Israel said to Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed at Shechem? Come, that I may send thee to them. And he said to him, Here am I.

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

14 A nd he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see after the welfare of thy brethren, and after the welfare of the flock; and bring me word again. And he sent him out of the vale of Hebron; and he came towards Shechem.

Then 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.

15 A nd a man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the country; and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?

A man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, “ What are you looking for?”

16 A nd he said, I am seeking my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed.

He said, “I am looking for my brothers; please tell me where they are pasturing the flock.”

17 A nd the man said, They have removed from this; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them at Dothan.

Then the man said, “They have moved from here; for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan. The Plot against Joseph

18 A nd when they saw him from afar, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to put him to death.

When they saw him from a distance and before he came close to them, they plotted against him to put him to death.

19 A nd they said one to another, Behold, there comes that dreamer!

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

20 A nd now come and let us kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, An evil beast has devoured him; and we will see what becomes of his dreams.

Now then, come and let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; and we will say, ‘A wild beast devoured him.’ Then let us see what will become of his dreams!”

21 A nd Reuben heard, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, Let us not take his life.

But Reuben heard this and rescued him out of their hands and said, “Let us not take his life.”

22 A nd Reuben said to them, Shed no blood: cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness; but lay no hand upon him—in order that he might deliver him out of their hand, to bring him to his father again.

Reuben further said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay hands on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hands, to restore him to his father.

23 A nd it came to pass when Joseph came to his brethren, that they stripped Joseph of his vest, the vest of many colours, which he had on;

So it came about, when Joseph reached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the varicolored tunic that was on him;

24 a nd they took him and cast him into the pit; now the pit was empty—there was no water in it.

and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, without any water in it.

25 A nd they sat down to eat bread; and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites came from Gilead; and their camels bore tragacanth, and balsam, and ladanum—going to carry down to Egypt.

Then they sat down to eat a meal. And as they raised their eyes and looked, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing aromatic gum and balm and myrrh, on their way to bring them down to Egypt.

26 A nd Judah said to his brethren, What profit is it that we kill our brother and secrete his blood?

Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it for us to kill our brother and cover up his blood?

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

Come and 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 A nd Midianitish men, merchants, passed by; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty silver-pieces; and they brought Joseph to Egypt.

Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. Thus they brought Joseph into Egypt.

29 A nd Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph not in the pit; and he rent his garments,

Now Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he tore his garments.

30 a nd returned to his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, where shall I go?

He returned to his brothers and said, “ The boy is not there; as for me, where am I to go?”

31 A nd they took Joseph's vest, and slaughtered a buck of the goats, and dipped the vest in the blood;

So they took Joseph’s tunic, and slaughtered a male goat and dipped the tunic in the blood;

32 a nd they sent the vest of many colours and had it carried to their father, and said, This have we found: discern now whether it is thy son's vest or not.

and they sent the varicolored tunic and brought it to their father and said, “We found this; please examine it to see whether it is your son’s tunic or not.”

33 A nd he discerned it, and said, my son's vest! an evil beast has devoured him: Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces!

Then he examined it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him; Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”

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

So Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days.

35 A nd all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, and said, For I will go down to my son into Sheol mourning. Thus his father wept for him.

Then all his sons and all his daughters arose 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.

36 A nd the Midianites sold him into Egypt, to Potiphar, a chamberlain of Pharaoh, the captain of the life-guard.

Meanwhile, the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer, the captain of the bodyguard.