Genesis 37

Joseph’s Dreams

1 But Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed,t in the land of Canaan.s

2 This is the account of Jacob.
Joseph, his seventeen-year-old son,t was taking care oft the flocks with his brothers. Now he was a youngstert working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives.t Joseph brought back a bad report about themts to their father.
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sonsts because he was a son born to him late in life,t and he made a specialt tunic for him.

4 When Joseph’st brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them,t they hated Josepht and were not able to speak to him kindly.t
5 Josepht had a dream,t and when he told his brothers about it,s they hated him even more.t6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had:t7 There we were,t 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 downt to it!”

8 Then his brothers asked him, “Do you really think you will rule over us or have dominion over us?”t They hated him even moret because of his dream and because of what he said.s
9 Then he had another dream,t and told it to his brothers. “Look,”t 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?s Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come and bow down to you?”t

11 His brothers were jealouss of him, but his father kept in mind what Joseph said.t
12 When his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem,13 Israel said to Joseph, “Your brotherst are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” “I’m ready,”s Joseph replied.t

14 So Jacobt said to him, “Go now and check ont the welfaret of your brothers and of the flocks, and bring me word.” So Jacobt sent him from the valley of Hebron.
15 When Joseph reached Shechem,t a man found him wanderingt in the field, so the man asked him, “What are you looking for?”16 He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Please tellt me where they are grazing their flocks.”

17 The man said, “They left this area,t 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 brotherst 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!t

20 Come now, let’s kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and then say that a wildt animal ate him. Then we’ll see how his dreams turn out!”t
21 When Reuben heard this, he rescued Josepht from their hands,s saying,t “Let’s not take his life!”t

22 Reuben continued,t “Don’t shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.”s (Reuben said thist so he could rescue Josepht from themt and take him back to his father.)
23 When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped himt 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;t there was no water in it.)
25 When they sat down to eat their food, they looked upt and sawt a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh down to Egypt.t26 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,t for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed.t

28 So when the Midianites merchants passed by, Joseph’s brothers pulledt himt out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelitest then took Joseph to Egypt.
29 Later Reuben returned to the cistern to find that Joseph was not in it!t 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,s and dipped the tunic in the blood.

32 Then they brought the special tunic to their fathert 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!s Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth,t and mourned for his son many days.

35 All his sons and daughters stood byt him to console him, but he refused to be consoled. “No,” he said, “I will go to the grave mourning my son.”t So Joseph’st father wept for him.

36 Nowt in Egypt the Midianitess sold Josepht to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.s

GENESIS 37

Joseph and His Brothers

1 Jacob lived in the land of Canaan, where his father Isaac had lived,

2 and this is the story of his family.
When Jacob's son Joseph was 17 years old, he took care of the sheep with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah.t But he was always telling his father all sorts of bad things about his brothers.
3 Jacob loved Joseph more than he did any of his other sons, because Joseph was born when Jacob was very old. Jacob had even given Joseph a fancy coatt

4 which showed that Joseph was his favorite son, and so Joseph's brothers hated him and would not be friendly to him.
5 One day, Joseph told his brothers what he had dreamed, and they hated him even more. 6 Joseph said, “Let me tell you about my dream.

7 We were out in the field, tying up bundles of wheat. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles gathered around and bowed down to it.”

8 His brothers asked, “Do you really think you are going to be king and rule over us?” Now they hated Joseph more than ever because of what he had said about his dream.

9 Joseph later had another dream, and he told his brothers, “Listen to what else I dreamed. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowed down to me.”
10 When he told his father about this dream, his father became angry and said, “What's that supposed to mean? Are your mother and I and your brothers all going to come and bow down to you?”

11 t Joseph's brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept wondering about the dream.

Joseph Is Sold //and Taken to Egypt

13 his father Jacob said to him, “I want you to go to your brothers. They are with the sheep near Shechem.”
“Yes, sir,” Joseph answered.

14 His father said, “Go and find out how your brothers and the sheep are doing. Then come back and let me know.” So he sent him from Hebron Valley.
Joseph was near Shechem

15 and wandering through the fields, when a man asked, “What are you looking for?”

16 Joseph answered, “I'm looking for my brothers who are watching the sheep. Can you tell me where they are?”

17 “They're not here anymore,” the man replied. “I overheard them say they were going to Dothan.”
Joseph left and found his brothers in Dothan. 18 But before he got there, they saw him coming and made plans to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Look, here comes the hero of those dreams!

20 Let's kill him and throw him into a pit and say that some wild animal ate him. Then we'll see what happens to those dreams.”
21 Reuben heard this and tried to protect Joseph from them. “Let's not kill him,” he said.

22 “Don't murder him or even harm him. Just throw him into a well out here in the desert.” Reuben planned to rescue Joseph later and take him back to his father.
23 When Joseph came to his brothers, they pulled off his fancy coatt

24 and threw him into a dry well.
25 As Joseph's brothers sat down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with all kinds of spices that they were taking to Egypt. 26 So Judah said, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and hide his body?

27 Let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not harm him. After all, he is our brother.” And the others agreed.

28  t When the Midianite merchants came by, Joseph's brothers took him out of the well, and for 20 pieces of silver they sold him to the Ishmaelitest who took him to Egypt.
29 When Reuben returned to the well and did not find Joseph there, he tore his clothes in sorrow.

30 Then he went back to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”
31 Joseph's brothers killed a goat and dipped Joseph's fancy coat in its blood.

32 After this, they took the coat to their father and said, “We found this! Look at it carefully and see if it belongs to your son.”

33 Jacob knew it was Joseph's coat and said, “It's my son's coat! Joseph has been torn to pieces and eaten by some wild animal.”
34 Jacob mourned for Joseph a long time, and to show his sorrow he tore his clothes and wore sackcloth.t

35 All of Jacob's children came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “I will go to my grave, mourning for my son.” So Jacob kept on grieving.
36 Meanwhile, the Midianites had sold Joseph in Egypt to a man named Potiphar, who was the king'st official in charge of the palace guard.