1 ¶ And Jacob dwelt in the land in which his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.

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

2 T hese are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.

This 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.

3 N ow Israel loved Joseph more than all his other sons because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a coat of many colours.

Now 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.

4 A nd when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him and could not speak peaceably unto him.

But 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.

5 ¶ And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren; and they hated him yet the more.

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

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

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

7 F or, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about and made obeisance to my sheaf.

We 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!

8 A nd his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? Or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams and for his words.

His 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.

9 A nd he dreamed yet another dream and told it to his brethren, saying, Behold, I have dreamed another dream; and, behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars made obeisance to me.

But 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!

10 A nd he told it to his father and to his brethren; and his father reprehended him and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?

And 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?

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

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

12 ¶ And his brethren went to feed their father’s sheep in Shechem.

Joseph’s brothers went to shepherd and feed their father’s flock near Shechem.

13 A nd Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the sheep in Shechem? Come and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.

Israel 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.

14 A nd he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it is well with thy brethren and well with the sheep and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

And 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.

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

And 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?

16 A nd he said, I seek my brethren; tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.

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

17 A nd the man said, They are departed from here; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren and found them in Dothan.

But 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.

18 A nd when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

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

19 A nd they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer comes;

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

20 n ow therefore, come and let us slay him and cast him into a cistern, and we will say, Some evil beast has devoured him; and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

So 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!

21 W hen Reuben heard it, he delivered him out of their hands and said, Let us not kill him.

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

22 A nd Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood but cast him into this cistern that is in the wilderness and lay no hand upon him that he might rid him out of their hands to deliver him to his father again.

And 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.

23 ¶ And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;

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

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

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

25 A nd they sat down to eat bread; and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing aromas and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.

Then 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.

26 T hen Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood?

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

27 C ome and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.

Come, 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.

28 A nd when the Midianite merchantmen passed by, they took and lifted up Joseph out of the cistern and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they brought Joseph into Egypt.

Then 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.

29 A nd Reuben returned unto the cistern; and, behold, Joseph was not inside, and he rent his clothes.

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

30 A nd he returned unto his brethren and said, The young man is not; and I, where shall I go?

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

31 ¶ Then they took Joseph’s coat and killed a kid of the goats and dipped the coat in the blood;

Then they took Joseph’s long garment, killed a young goat, and dipped the garment in the blood;

32 a nd they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father and said, We have found this, recognize now whether it is thy son’s coat or not.

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

33 A nd he knew it and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast has devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.

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

34 T hen Jacob rent his clothes and put sackcloth upon his loins and mourned for his son many days.

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

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

And 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.

36 A nd the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s and captain of the guard.

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