Genesis

The first book of Moses, called Genesis, chapter 37, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 37 New English Translation

Joseph's Dreams

   1 But Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, in the land of Canaan.
   2 This is the account of Jacob. Joseph, his seventeen-year-old son, was taking care of the flocks with his brothers. Now he was a youngster working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father.
   3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons because he was a son born to him late in life, and he made a special tunic for him. 4 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated Joseph and were not able to speak to him kindly.
   5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: 7 There we were, binding sheaves of grain in the middle of the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose up and stood upright and your sheaves surrounded my sheaf and bowed down to it!" 8 Then his brothers asked him, "Do you really think you will rule over us or have dominion over us?" They hated him even more because of his dream and because of what he said.
   9 Then he had another dream, and told it to his brothers. "Look," he said. "I had another dream. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me." 10 When he told his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him, saying, "What is this dream that you had? Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come and bow down to you?" 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what Joseph said.
   12 When his brothers had gone to graze their father's flocks near Shechem, 13 Israel said to Joseph, "Your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I will send you to them." "I'm ready," Joseph replied. 14 So Jacob said to him, "Go now and check on the welfare of your brothers and of the flocks, and bring me word." So Jacob sent him from the valley of Hebron.
   15 When Joseph reached Shechem, a man found him wandering in the field, so the man asked him, "What are you looking for?" 16 He replied, "I'm looking for my brothers. Please tell me where they are grazing their flocks." 17 The man said, "They left this area, for I heard them say, 'Let's go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
   18 Now Joseph's brothers saw him from a distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. 19 They said to one another, "Here comes this master of dreams! 20 Come now, let's kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and then say that a wild animal ate him. Then we'll see how his dreams turn out!"
   21 When Reuben heard this, he rescued Joseph from their hands, saying, "Let's not take his life!" 22 Reuben continued, "Don't shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don't lay a hand on him." (Reuben said this so he could rescue Joseph from them and take him back to his father.)
   23 When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him of his tunic, the special tunic that he wore. 24 Then they took him and threw him into the cistern. (Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it.)
   25 When they sat down to eat their food, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let's not lay a hand on him, for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh." His brothers agreed. 28 So when the Midianite merchants passed by, Joseph's brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites then took Joseph to Egypt.
   29 Later Reuben returned to the cistern to find that Joseph was not in it! He tore his clothes, 30 returned to his brothers, and said, "The boy isn't there! And I, where can I go?" 31 So they took Joseph's tunic, killed a young goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood. 32 Then they brought the special tunic to their father and said, "We found this. Determine now whether it is your son's tunic or not."
   33 He recognized it and exclaimed, "It is my son's tunic! A wild animal has eaten him! Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!" 34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and daughters stood by him to console him, but he refused to be consoled. "No," he said, "I will go to the grave mourning my son." So Joseph's father wept for him.
   36 Now in Egypt the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard.

King James Version

   1 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
   2 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 Now 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 colours.
   4 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 ¶ And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
   6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
   7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
   8 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 ¶ And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
   10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked 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 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
   12 ¶ And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.
   13 And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.
   14 And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
   15 ¶ And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
   16 And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.
   17 And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
   18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
   19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
   20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
   21 And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.
   22 And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit 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 ¶ And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;
   24 And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
   25 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 spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
   26 And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
   27 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 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
   29 ¶ And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
   30 And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?
   31 And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;
   32 And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no.
   33 And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.
   34 And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
   35 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 And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.