Genesis 37:12-36

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 1Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “2I 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 3Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

15A man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, “4What 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 5Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

186When they saw him from a distance, and before he came closer to them, they 7plotted against him to put him to death. 19They said to one another, “8Here comes this dreamer! 20Now then, come and let’s kill him, and throw him into one of the pits; and 9we will say, ‘A vicious animal devoured him.’ Then we will see what will become of his dreams!” 21But 10Reuben heard this and rescued him out of their hands 11by saying, “Let’s not 12take 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 13reached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the 14multicolored 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 15a meal. But as they raised their eyes and looked, behold, a caravan of 16Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels carrying 17labdanum resin, 18balsam, and 19myrrh, 20on 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 21cover up his blood? 2722Come, 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 23Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him out and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and 24sold 25him to the Ishmaelites for 26twenty shekels of silver. So 27they brought Joseph into Egypt.

29Now Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he 28tore his garments. 30He returned to his brothers and said, “29The boy is not there; as for me, where am I to go?” 31So 30they took Joseph’s tunic, and slaughtered a male goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood; 32and they sent the 31multicolored tunic and brought it to their father and said, “We found this; please 32examine it to see whether it is your son’s tunic or not.” 33Then he 33examined it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. 34A vicious animal has devoured him; 35Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 34So Jacob 36tore 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 37go down to Sheol in mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him. 36Meanwhile, the 38Midianites 39sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer, the captain of the bodyguard.