1 J acob lived in the land of his father’s travels, in the land of Canaan.

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

2 T his is the history of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought an evil report of them to their father.

These 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.

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 coat of many colors.

Now 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.

4 H is brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn’t speak peaceably to him.

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

5 J oseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more.

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

6 H e said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed:

And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which 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 came around, and bowed down to my sheaf.”

For, 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.

8 H is brothers said to him, “Will you indeed reign over us? Or will you indeed have dominion over us?” They hated him all the more for his dreams and for his words.

And 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.

9 H e dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, “Behold, I have dreamed yet another dream: and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me.”

And 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.

10 H e told it to his father and to his brothers. His father rebuked him, and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves down to you to the earth?”

And 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?

11 H is brothers envied him, but his father kept this saying in mind.

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

12 H is brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.

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

13 I srael said to Joseph, “Aren’t your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” He said to him, “Here I am.”

And 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.

14 H e said to him, “Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers, and well with the flock; and bring me word again.” So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

And 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.

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

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

16 H e said, “I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are feeding the flock.”

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

17 T he man said, “They have left here, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan.

And 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.

18 T hey saw him afar off, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him.

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

19 T hey said to one another, “Behold, this dreamer comes.

And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer comes;

20 C ome now therefore, and let’s kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, ‘An evil animal has devoured him.’ We will see what will become of his dreams.”

now 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.

21 R euben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, “Let’s not take his life.”

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

22 R euben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hand, to restore him to his father.

And 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.

23 W hen Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his coat, the coat of many colors that was on him;

¶ 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;

24 a nd they took him, and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty. There was no water in it.

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

25 T hey sat down to eat bread, and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.

And 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.

26 J udah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?

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

27 C ome, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not let our hand be on him; for he is our brother, our flesh.” His brothers listened to him.

Come 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.

28 M idianites who were merchants passed by, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. They brought Joseph into Egypt.

And 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.

29 R euben returned to the pit; and saw that Joseph wasn’t in the pit; and he tore his clothes.

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

30 H e returned to his brothers, and said, “The child is no more; and I, where will I go?”

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

31 T hey took Joseph’s coat, and killed a male goat, and dipped the coat in the blood.

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

32 T hey took the coat of many colors, and they brought it to their father, and said, “We have found this. Examine it, now, whether it is your son’s coat or not.”

and 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.

33 H e recognized it, and said, “It is my son’s coat. An evil animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces.”

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

34 J acob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days.

Then Jacob rent his clothes and put sackcloth upon his loins and mourned for his son many days.

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

36 T he Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard.

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