Genesis 37

1Now JacobH3290 livedH3427 in the landH776 where his fatherH1 had residedH4033, the landH776 of CanaanH3667.

2ThisH428 is the accountH8435 of JacobH3290. When JosephH3130 was seventeenH7651H6240 yearsH8141 oldH1121, he wasH1961 tendingH7462 the flockH6629H1931 withH854 his brothersH251, the sonsH1121 of his father’sH1 wivesH802 BilhahH1090H854H1121 and ZilpahH2153, and heH3130 broughtH935 their fatherH1 a badH7451 reportH1681 about themH413.

3Now IsraelH3478 lovedH157 JosephH3130 more thanH3605 his other sonsH1121, becauseH3588 JosephH1931 had been bornH1121 to him in his old ageH2208; so he madeH6213 him a robeH3801 of many colorsH6446.1 4When Joseph’s brothersH251 sawH7200 thatH3588 their fatherH1 lovedH157 himH853 more than anyH3605 of them, they hatedH8130 himH853 and couldH3201 notH3808 speakH1696 a kind word to himH7965.

5Then JosephH3130 had a dreamH2492H2472, and when he toldH5046 it to his brothersH251, they hatedH8130 himH853 even moreH3254H5750. 6He saidH559 to themH413, “ListenH8085H4994 to thisH2088 dream I hadH2492H2472: 7WeH587 were bindingH481 sheaves of grainH485 inH8432 the fieldH7704, and suddenlyH2009 my sheafH485 roseH6965 andH1571 stood uprightH5324H2009, while your sheavesH485 gathered aroundH5437 and bowed downH7812 toH485 mine.”

8“Do you intend to reignH4427 over usH5921H518?” his brothersH251 askedH559. “Will you actually ruleH4910 us?” So they hatedH8130 himH853 even moreH3254H5750 because ofH5921 his dreamH2472H5921 and his statementsH1697.

9Then Joseph had anotherH5750H312 dreamH2492H2472 and toldH5608 it to his brothersH251. “LookH2009,” he saidH559, “I had anotherH5750H2009 dreamH2492H2472, and this time the sunH8121 and moonH3394 and elevenH259H6240 starsH3556 were bowing downH7812 to me.”

10He toldH5608H413 his fatherH1H413 and brothersH251, but his fatherH1 rebukedH1605 him and saidH559, “WhatH4100 is this dreamH2088 thatH834 you have hadH2472H2492? Will your motherH517 and brothersH251 and IH589 actuallyH935 comeH935 and bow downH7812 to the groundH776 before you?” 11And his brothersH251 were jealousH7065 of him, but his fatherH1 kept in mindH8104 what he had saidH1697.

Joseph Sold into Egypt

(Acts 7:9–14)

12Some time later, Joseph’s brothersH251 had goneH1980 to pastureH7462 their father’sH1 flocksH6629 near ShechemH7927. 13IsraelH3478 saidH559 toH413 him, “Are notH3808 your brothersH251 pasturingH7462 the flocks at ShechemH7927? Get readyH1980; I am sendingH7971 you to themH413.”

“I am readyH2009,” Joseph repliedH559.

14Then Israel toldH559 him, “GoH1980 nowH4994 and seeH7200 how your brothersH251 and the flocksH6629 are faringH7965, and bring wordH1697 back to meH7725.”

So he sent him offH7971 from the ValleyH6010 of HebronH2275. And when Joseph arrivedH935 in ShechemH7927, 15a manH376 found himH4672 wanderingH8582 in the fieldH7704 and askedH7592H376H559, “WhatH4100 are you looking forH1245?”

16“I amH595 looking forH1245 my brothersH251,” Joseph repliedH559. “Can you please tellH5046H4994 me whereH375 theyH1992 are pasturing their flocksH7462?”

17“They have moved onH5265 from hereH2088H3588,” the manH376 answeredH559. “I heard themH8085 sayH559, ‘Let us goH1980 to DothanH1886.’” So JosephH3130 set outH1980 afterH310 his brothersH251 and found themH4672 at DothanH1886.

18Now Joseph’s brothers sawH7200 himH853 in the distanceH7350, and beforeH2962 he arrivedH7126H413, they plottedH5230 to kill himH4191. 19“HereH2009 comesH935 thatH1976 dreamerH1167H2472!” they saidH559 toH413 oneH376 anotherH251. 20“ComeH1980 nowH6258, let us kill himH2026 and throw himH7993 into oneH259 of the pitsH953. We can sayH559 that a viciousH7451 animalH2416 has devoured himH398. Then we shall seeH7200 whatH4100 becomesH1961 of his dreamsH2472!”

21When ReubenH7205 heardH8085 this, he tried to rescueH5337 Joseph from their handsH3027. “Let us notH3808 takeH5221 his lifeH5315,” he saidH559. 22“Do not shedH8210 his bloodH1818. ThrowH7993 himH853 intoH413 thisH2088 pitH953 in the wildernessH4057, but do notH408 layH7971 a handH3027 on him.” ReubenH7205H408 said thisH559H413 so thatH4616 he could rescueH5337 Joseph from their handsH3027 and return himH7725 toH413 his fatherH1.

23SoH1961 whenH834 JosephH3130 cameH935 toH413 his brothersH251, they strippedH6584 him of his robeH3801—the robeH3801 of many colorsH6446 he was wearingH5921— 24and they took himH3947 and threwH7993 himH853 into the pitH953. Now the pitH953 was emptyH7386, with noH369 waterH4325 in it.

25And as they sat downH3427 to eatH398 a mealH3899, they looked upH5375H5869H7200 and sawH2009 a caravanH736 of IshmaelitesH3459 comingH935 from GileadH1568. Their camelsH1581 were carryingH5375 spicesH5219, balmH6875, and myrrhH3910 on their wayH1980 downH3381 to EgyptH4714.

26Then JudahH3063 saidH559 toH413 his brothersH251, “WhatH4100 profit will we gainH1215 ifH3588 we killH2026 our brotherH251 and cover upH3680 his bloodH1818? 27ComeH1980, let us sell himH4376 to the IshmaelitesH3459 and notH408 layH1961 a handH3027 on him; forH3588 heH1931 is our brotherH251, our own fleshH1320.” And theyH251 agreedH8085. 28So when the MidianiteH4084 tradersH5503 passed byH5674H582, his brothers pulledH4900H5927 JosephH3130 out ofH4480 the pitH953 and soldH4376 himH3130 for twentyH6242 shekels of silverH37012 to the IshmaelitesH3459, who tookH935 him to EgyptH4714.

29When ReubenH7205 returnedH7725 toH413 the pitH953 and sawH2009 that JosephH3130 was not thereH369H953, he toreH7167 his clothesH899, 30returnedH7725 toH413 his brothersH251, and saidH559, “The boyH3206 is goneH369! What am I going to doH589H575H935?”

Jacob Mourns Joseph

31Then they tookH3947 Joseph’sH3130 robeH3801, slaughteredH7819 a young goatH8163H5795, and dippedH2881 the robeH3801 in its bloodH1818. 32They sentH7971 the robeH3801 of many colorsH6446H935 toH413 their fatherH1 and saidH559, “We foundH4672 thisH2063. Examine itH5234 to see whetherH4994 itH1931 is your son’sH1121 robeH3801 orH518 notH3808.”

33His father recognized itH5234 and saidH559, “It is my son’sH1121 robeH3801! A viciousH7451 animalH2416 has devoured himH398. JosephH3130 has surely been torn to piecesH2963!” 34Then JacobH3290 toreH7167 his clothesH8071, putH7760 sackclothH8242 around his waistH4975, and mournedH56 forH5921 his sonH1121 manyH7227 daysH3117. 35AllH3605 his sonsH1121H3605 and daughtersH1323 tried to comfort himH5162, but he refusedH3985 to be comfortedH5162. “No,” he saidH559H3588. “I will go downH3381 to SheolH7585 mourningH57 forH413 my sonH1121.” So his fatherH1 weptH1058 for himH853.

36Meanwhile, the MidianitesH40923 soldH4376 Joseph inH413 EgyptH4714 to PotipharH6318, an officerH5631 of PharaohH6547 and captainH8269 of the guardH2876.