New American Standard Bible 1995

Genesis 37:21-30

21ButReubenרְאוּבֵ֔ןre.'u.VenH7205heardוַיִּשְׁמַ֣עvai.yish.Ma'H8085thisand rescuedוַיַּצִּלֵ֖הוּvai.ya.tzi.Le.huH5337him out of their handsמִיָּדָ֑םmi.ya.DamH3027and saidוַיֹּ֕אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559, “Let us nottakeנַכֶּ֖נּוּna.Ke.nuH5221his lifeנָֽפֶשׁ׃Na.feshH5315.”

22Reubenרְאוּבֵן֮re.'u.VenH7205further saidוַיֹּ֨אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559to them, “Shedתִּשְׁפְּכוּ־tish.pe.khu-H8210noH408bloodדָם֒damH1818.Throwהַשְׁלִ֣יכוּhash.Li.khuH7993him into thisהַזֶּה֙ha.ZehH2088pitהַבּ֤וֹרha.BorH953that is in the wildernessבַּמִּדְבָּ֔רba.mid.BarH4057,but do not layתִּשְׁלְחוּ־tish.le.chu-H7971handsוְיָ֖דve.YadH3027on him”--that he might rescueהַצִּ֤ילha.TzilH5337him out of their handsמִיָּדָ֔םmi.ya.DamH3027,to restoreלַהֲשִׁיב֖וֹla.ha.shi.VoH7725him to his fatherאָבִֽיו׃'a.VivH1.

23So it cameוַֽיְהִ֕יvay.HiH1961about, whenH3512Josephיוֹסֵ֖ףyo.SefH3130reachedבָּ֥אba'H935his brothersאֶחָ֑יו'e.ChavH251,that they strippedוַיַּפְשִׁ֤יטוּvai.yaf.Shi.tuH6584Josephיוֹסֵף֙yo.SefH3130of histunicכֻּתָּנְתּ֔וֹku.ta.ne.ToH3801,the varicoloredהַפַּסִּ֖יםha.pa.SimH6446tunicכְּתֹ֥נֶתke.To.netH3801that was on him;

24and they tookוַיִּ֨קָּחֻ֔הוּvai.Yi.ka.Chu.huH3947him and threwוַיַּשְׁלִ֥כוּvai.yash.Li.khuH7993him into the pitהַבֹּ֑רָהha.Bo.rahH953.Now the pitוְהַבּ֣וֹרve.ha.BorH953was emptyרֵ֔קRekH7386,withoutאֵ֥ין'einH369any waterמָֽיִם׃Ma.yimH4325in it.

25Then they satH3427downוַיֵּשְׁבוּ֮vai.ye.she.VuH3427to eatלֶֽאֱכָל־le.'e.khol-H398a mealלֶחֶם֒le.ChemH3899.And as they raisedוַיִּשְׂא֤וּvai.yis.'UH5375their eyesעֵֽינֵיהֶם֙'ei.nei.HemH5869and lookedוַיִּרְא֔וּvai.yir.'UH7200,beholdוְהִנֵּה֙ve.hi.NehH2009,a caravanאֹרְחַ֣ת'o.re.ChatH736ofIshmaelitesיִשְׁמְעֵאלִ֔יםyish.me.'e.LimH3459was comingבָּאָ֖הba.'AhH935from Gileadמִגִּלְעָ֑דmi.gil.'AdH1568,with their camelsוּגְמַלֵּיהֶ֣םu.ge.ma.lei.HemH1581bearingנֹֽשְׂאִ֗יםno.se.'ImH5375aromaticH5219gumH5219andbalmוּצְרִ֣יu.tze.RiH6875andmyrrhוָלֹ֔טva.LotH3910,on their wayהוֹלְכִ֖יםhol.KhimH1980to bringH3381themdownלְהוֹרִ֥ידle.ho.RidH3381to Egyptמִצְרָֽיְמָה׃mitz.Ra.ye.mahH4714.

26Judahיְהוּדָ֖הye.hu.DahH3063saidוַיֹּ֥אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559to his brothersאֶחָ֑יו'e.ChavH251, “Whatמַה־mah-H4100profitבֶּ֗צַעBe.tza'H1215is it for us to killנַהֲרֹג֙na.ha.RogH2026our brotherאָחִ֔ינוּ'a.Chi.nuH251andcoverוְכִסִּ֖ינוּve.khi.Si.nuH3680up his bloodדָּמֽוֹ׃da.MoH1818?

27Comeלְכ֞וּle.KhuH1980and let us sellוְנִמְכְּרֶ֣נּוּve.nim.ke.Re.nuH4376him to the Ishmaelitesלַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֗יםlai.yish.me.'e.LimH3459and not layתְּהִי־te.hi-H1961our handsוְיָדֵ֙נוּ֙ve.ya.De.nuH3027on him, for he is our brotherאָחִ֥ינוּ'a.Chi.nuH251, our ownfleshבְשָׂרֵ֖נוּve.sa.Re.nuH1320.”And his brothersאֶחָֽיו׃'e.ChavH251listenedוַֽיִּשְׁמְע֖וּvai.yish.me.'UH8085to him.

28Then someH376Midianiteמִדְיָנִ֜יםmid.ya.NimH4084tradersסֹֽחֲרִ֗יםso.cha.RimH5503passedוַיַּֽעַבְרוּ֩vai.ya.'av.RuH5674by, so they pulledוַֽיִּמְשְׁכוּ֙vai.yim.she.KhuH4900himup and liftedוַיַּֽעֲל֤וּvai.ya.'a.LuH5927JosephH3130out of the pitהַבּ֔וֹרha.BorH953, andsoldוַיִּמְכְּר֧וּvai.yim.ke.RuH4376him to the Ishmaelitesלַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֖יםlai.yish.me.'e.LimH3459for twentyבְּעֶשְׂרִ֣יםbe.'es.RimH6242shekelsof silverכָּ֑סֶףKa.sefH3701. Thusthey broughtוַיָּבִ֥יאוּvai.ya.Vi.'uH935JosephH3130into Egyptמִצְרָֽיְמָה׃mitz.Ra.ye.mahH4714.

29Now Reubenרְאוּבֵן֙re.'u.VenH7205returnedוַיָּ֤שָׁבvai.Ya.shovH7725to the pitהַבּ֔וֹרha.BorH953,and beholdוְהִנֵּ֥הve.hi.NehH2009,Josephיוֹסֵ֖ףyo.SefH3130was not in the pitבַּבּ֑וֹרba.BorH953; so hetoreוַיִּקְרַ֖עvai.yik.Ra'H7167his garmentsבְּגָדָֽיו׃be.ga.DavH899.

30He returnedוַיָּ֥שָׁבvai.Ya.shovH7725to his brothersאֶחָ֖יו'e.ChavH251and saidוַיֹּאמַ֑רvai.yo.MarH559, “The boyהַיֶּ֣לֶדhai.Ye.ledH3206is not there;as for me, whereאָ֥נָה'A.nahH575am I to goבָֽא׃Va'H935?”

Read all of Genesis 37

Commentaries on Genesis 37