Genesis 37:3-23

3Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was 1the son of his old age; and he made him a 23varicolored tunic. 4His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they 4hated him and could not speak to him 5on friendly terms.

5Then Joseph 67had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6He said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I have 8had; 7for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf rose up and also stood erect; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and 9bowed down to my sheaf.” 8Then his brothers said to him, “10Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

9Now he 11had still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said, “Lo, I have 12had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10He related it to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have 13had? Shall I and your mother and 14your brothers actually come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground?” 1115His brothers were jealous of him, but his father 16kept the saying in mind.

12Then his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock in Shechem. 13Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock in 17Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “18I will go.” 14Then he said to him, “Go now and see about the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the valley of 19Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

15A man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, “20What are you looking for?” 16He said, “I am looking for my brothers; please tell me where they are pasturing the flock.” 17Then the man said, “They have moved from here; for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to 21Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

1822When they saw him from a distance and before he came close to them, they 23plotted against him to put him to death. 19They said to one another, “24Here comes this dreamer! 20Now then, come and let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; and 25we will say, ‘A wild beast devoured him.’ Then let us see what will become of his dreams!” 21But 26Reuben heard this and rescued him out of their hands and said, “Let us not 27take his life.” 22Reuben further said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay hands on him”--that he might rescue him out of their hands, to restore him to his father. 23So it came about, when Joseph 28reached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his 29tunic, the varicolored tunic that was on him;