Genesis 37

Joseph’s Dreams

1Now Jacob lived in 1the land where his father had lived as a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 2These are the records of the generations of Jacob.

Joseph, when he was 2seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers, while he was still a youth, along with 3the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought back a 4bad report about them to their father. 3Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his other sons, because he was 5the son of his old age; and he made him a 67multicolored tunic. 4And his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they 8hated him and could not speak to him 9on friendly terms.

5Then Joseph 1011had 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 12had; 7for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf stood up and also remained standing; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and 13bowed down to my sheaf.” 8Then his brothers said to him, “14Are 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.

9Then he 15had yet another dream, and informed his brothers of it, and said, “Behold, I have 16had yet another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10He also told it to his father as well as to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have 17had? Am I and your mother and 18your brothers actually going to come to bow down to the ground before you?” 11And 19his brothers were jealous of him, but his father 20kept the matter in mind.

12Then his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock in Shechem. 13And Israel said to Joseph, “Are your brothers not pasturing the flock in 21Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “22I 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 23Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

15A man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, “24What 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’s go to 25Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

The Plot against Joseph

1826When they saw him from a distance, and before he came closer to them, they 27plotted against him to put him to death. 19They said to one another, “28Here comes this dreamer! 20Now then, come and let’s kill him, and throw him into one of the pits; and 29we will say, ‘A vicious animal devoured him.’ Then we will see what will become of his dreams!” 21But 30Reuben heard this and rescued him out of their hands 31by saying, “Let’s not 32take his life.” 22Then Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”--so that later he might rescue him out of their hands, to return him to his father. 23So it came about, when Joseph 33reached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the 34multicolored tunic that was on him; 24and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, without any water in it.

25Then they sat down to eat 35a meal. But as they raised their eyes and looked, behold, a caravan of 36Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels carrying 37labdanum resin, 38balsam, and 39myrrh, 40on their way to bring them down to Egypt. 26And Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it for us to kill our brother and 41cover up his blood? 2742Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28Then some 43Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him out and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and 44sold 45him to the Ishmaelites for 46twenty shekels of silver. So 47they brought Joseph into Egypt.

29Now Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he 48tore his garments. 30He returned to his brothers and said, “49The boy is not there; as for me, where am I to go?” 31So 50they took Joseph’s tunic, and slaughtered a male goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood; 32and they sent the 51multicolored tunic and brought it to their father and said, “We found this; please 52examine it to see whether it is your son’s tunic or not.” 33Then he 53examined it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. 54A vicious animal has devoured him; 55Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 34So Jacob 56tore his clothes, and put on a sackcloth undergarment over his waist, and mourned for his son many days. 35Then all his sons and all his daughters got up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, “Surely I will 57go down to Sheol in mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him. 36Meanwhile, the 58Midianites 59sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer, the captain of the bodyguard.