1 N ow Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.

And Jacob dwelt in the land where his father sojourned—in the land of Canaan.

2 T his 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.

These 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.

3 N ow 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.

And 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.

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

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

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

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

6 S o he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed:

And he said to them, Hear, I pray you, this dream, which I have dreamt:

7 T here 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.”

Behold, 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.

8 A nd 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.

And 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.

9 T hen 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.”

And 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.

10 S o 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?”

And 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?

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

And his brethren envied him; but his father kept the saying.

12 T hen his brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.

And his brethren went to feed their father's flock at Shechem.

13 A nd 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.”

And 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.

14 T hen 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.

And 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.

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

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

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

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

17 A nd 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.

And 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.

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

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

19 T hen they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming!

And they said one to another, Behold, there comes that dreamer!

20 C ome 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!”

And 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.

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

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

22 A nd 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.

And 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.

23 S o 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.

And 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;

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

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

25 A nd 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.

And 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.

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

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

27 C ome 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.

Come 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.

28 T hen 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.

And 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

32 T hen 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?”

and 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.

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

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

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

And Jacob rent 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 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.

And 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.

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

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