Genesis 37

Joseph’s Dream

1Now JacobH3290 livedH3427 in 1the landH776 2whereH4033 his fatherH1 had sojournedH4033, in the landH776 of CanaanH3667. 2TheseH428 are the records of the generationsH8435 of JacobH3290.

JosephH3130, when 3seventeenH7651H6240 yearsH8141 of ageH1121, was pasturingH7462 the flockH6629 with his brothersH251 while he was still a youthH5288, along with 4the sonsH1121 of BilhahH1090 and the sonsH1121 of ZilpahH2153, his father’sH1 wivesH802. And JosephH3130 broughtH935 back a 5badH1681H7451 reportH1681 about them to their fatherH1. 3Now IsraelH3478 lovedH157 JosephH3130 moreH4480 thanH4480 allH3605 his sonsH1121, becauseH3588 he was 6the sonH1121 of his oldH2208 ageH2208; and he madeH6213 him a 78varicoloredH6446 tunicH3801. 4His brothersH251 sawH7200 that their fatherH1 lovedH157 him moreH4480 thanH4480 allH3605 his brothersH251; and so they 9hatedH8130 him and couldH3201 not speakH1696 to him 10on friendlyH7965 termsH7965.

5Then JosephH3130 1112hadH2492 a dreamH2472, and when he toldH5046 it to his brothersH251, they hatedH8130 him evenH5750 moreH3254H5750. 6He saidH559 to them, “PleaseH4994 listenH8085 to thisH2088 dreamH2472 whichH834 I have 13hadH2492; 7for beholdH2009, we were bindingH481 sheavesH485 in the fieldH7704, and loH2009, my sheafH485 roseH6965 up and alsoH1571 stoodH5324 erectH5324; and beholdH2009, your sheavesH485 gatheredH5437 aroundH5437 and 14bowedH7812 downH7812 to my sheafH485.” 8Then his brothersH251 saidH559 to him, “15Are you actuallyH4427 going to reignH4427 overH5921 us? OrH518 are you reallyH4910 going to ruleH4910 over us?” So they hatedH8130 him evenH5750 moreH3254H5750 for his dreamsH2472 and for his wordsH1697.

9Now he 16hadH2492 stillH5750 anotherH312 dreamH2472, and relatedH5608 it to his brothersH251, and saidH559, “LoH2009, I have 17hadH2492 stillH5750 another dreamH2472; and beholdH2009, the sunH8121 and the moonH3394 and elevenH259H6240 starsH3556 were bowingH7812 downH7812 to me.” 10He relatedH5608 it to his fatherH1 and to his brothersH251; and his fatherH1 rebukedH1605 him and saidH559 to him, “WhatH4100 is thisH2088 dreamH2472 that you have 18hadH2492? Shall I and your motherH517 and 19your brothersH251 actuallyH935 comeH935 to bowH7812 ourselves downH7812 before you to the groundH776?” 1120His brothersH251 were jealousH7065 of him, but his fatherH1 21keptH8104 the sayingH1697 in mind.

12Then his brothersH251 wentH1980 to pastureH7462 their father’sH1 flockH6629 in ShechemH7927. 13IsraelH3478 saidH559 to JosephH3130, “Are not your brothersH251 pasturingH7462 the flock in 22ShechemH7927? ComeH1980, and I will sendH7971 you to them.” And he saidH559 to him, “23I will goH2009.” 14Then he saidH559 to him, “GoH1980 nowH4994 and seeH7200 about the welfareH7965 of your brothersH251 and the welfareH7965 of the flockH6629, and bringH7725 wordH1697 backH7725 to me.” So he sentH7971 him from the valleyH6010 of 24HebronH2275, and he cameH935 to ShechemH7927.

15A manH376 foundH4672 him, and beholdH2009, he was wanderingH8582 in the fieldH7704; and the manH376 askedH7592 him, “25WhatH4100 are you lookingH1245 for?” 16He saidH559, “I am lookingH1245 for my brothersH251; pleaseH4994 tellH5046 me whereH375 they are pasturingH7462 the flock.” 17Then the manH376 saidH559, “They have movedH5265 from hereH2088; for I heardH8085 them sayH559, ‘Let us goH1980 to 26DothanH1886.’” So JosephH3130 wentH1980 after his brothersH251 and foundH4672 them at DothanH1886.

The Plot against Joseph

1827When they sawH7200 him from a distanceH7350 and beforeH2962 he cameH7126 closeH7126 to them, they 28plottedH5230 againstH854 him to putH4191 him to deathH4191. 19They saidH559 to oneH376 anotherH251, “29HereH2009 comesH935 thisH1976 dreamerH1167H2472! 20NowH6258 then, comeH1980 and let us killH2026 him and throwH7993 him into oneH259 of the pitsH953; and 30we will sayH559, ‘A wildH7451 beastH2421 devouredH398 him.’ Then let us seeH7200 whatH4100 will becomeH1961 of his dreamsH2472!” 21But 31ReubenH7205 heardH8085 this and rescuedH5337 him out of their handsH3027 and saidH559, “Let us not 32takeH5221 his lifeH5315.” 22ReubenH7205 further saidH559 to them, “ShedH8210 noH408 bloodH1818. ThrowH7993 him into thisH2088 pitH953 that is in the wildernessH4057, but do not layH7971 handsH3027 on him”--that he might rescueH5337 him out of their handsH3027, to restoreH7725 him to his fatherH1. 23So it cameH1961 about, whenH3512 JosephH3130 33reachedH935 his brothersH251, that they strippedH6584 JosephH3130 of his 34tunicH3801, the varicoloredH6446 tunicH3801 that was on him; 24and they tookH3947 him and threwH7993 him into the pitH953. Now the pitH953 was emptyH7386, withoutH369 any waterH4325 in it.

25Then they satH3427 downH3427 to eatH398 35a mealH3899. And as they raisedH5375 their eyesH5869 and lookedH7200, beholdH2009, a caravanH736 of 36IshmaelitesH3459 was comingH935 from GileadH1568, with their camelsH1581 bearingH5375 3738aromaticH5219 gumH5219 and 3940balmH6875 and 41myrrhH3910, 42on their wayH1980 to bringH3381 them downH3381 to EgyptH4714. 26JudahH3063 saidH559 to his brothersH251, “WhatH4100 profitH1215 is it for us to killH2026 our brotherH251 and 43coverH3680 up his bloodH1818? 2744ComeH1980 and let us sellH4376 him to the IshmaelitesH3459 and not layH1961 our handsH3027 on him, for he is our brotherH251, our own fleshH1320.” And his brothersH251 listenedH8085 to him. 28Then someH376 45MidianiteH4084 tradersH5503 passedH5674 by, so they pulledH4900 him up and liftedH5927 JosephH3130 out of the pitH953, and 46soldH4376 47him to the IshmaelitesH3459 for twentyH6242 shekels of silverH3701. Thus 48they broughtH935 JosephH3130 into EgyptH4714.

29Now ReubenH7205 returnedH7725 to the pitH953, and beholdH2009, JosephH3130 was not in the pitH953; so he 49toreH7167 his garmentsH899. 30He returnedH7725 to his brothersH251 and saidH559, “50The boyH3206 is not there; as for me, whereH575 am I to goH935?” 31So 51they tookH3947 Joseph’sH3130 tunicH3801, and slaughteredH7819 a maleH8163 goatH8163 and dippedH2881 the tunicH3801 in the bloodH1818; 32and they sentH7971 the varicoloredH6446 tunicH3801 and broughtH935 it to their fatherH1 and saidH559, “We foundH4672 thisH2088; pleaseH4994 52examineH5234 it to see whether it is your son’sH1121 tunicH3801 orH518 not.” 33Then he 53examinedH5234 it and saidH559, “It is my son’sH1121 tunicH3801. 54A wildH7451 beastH2421 has devouredH398 him; 55JosephH3130 has surelyH2963 been tornH2963 to piecesH2963!” 34So JacobH3290 56toreH7167 his clothesH8071, and putH7760 sackclothH8242 on his loinsH4975 and mournedH56 for his sonH1121 manyH7227 daysH3117. 35Then allH3605 his sonsH1121 and allH3605 his daughtersH1323 aroseH6965 to comfortH5162 him, but he refusedH3985 to be comfortedH5162. And he saidH559, “SurelyH3588 I will 57goH3381 downH3381 to SheolH7585 in mourningH57 for my sonH1121.” So his fatherH1 weptH1058 for him. 36Meanwhile, the 58MidianitesH4084 59soldH4376 him in EgyptH4714 to PotipharH6318, Pharaoh’sH6547 officerH5631, the captainH8269 of the bodyguardH2876.