Genesis 37:8-36

8Then his brothers said to him, “1Are 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 2had yet another dream, and informed his brothers of it, and said, “Behold, I have 3had 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 4had? Am I and your mother and 5your brothers actually going to come to bow down to the ground before you?” 11And 6his brothers were jealous of him, but his father 7kept 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 8Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “9I 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 10Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

15A man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, “11What 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 12Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

1813When they saw him from a distance, and before he came closer to them, they 14plotted against him to put him to death. 19They said to one another, “15Here comes this dreamer! 20Now then, come and let’s kill him, and throw him into one of the pits; and 16we will say, ‘A vicious animal devoured him.’ Then we will see what will become of his dreams!” 21But 17Reuben heard this and rescued him out of their hands 18by saying, “Let’s not 19take 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 20reached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the 21multicolored 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 22a meal. But as they raised their eyes and looked, behold, a caravan of 23Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels carrying 24labdanum resin, 25balsam, and 26myrrh, 27on 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 28cover up his blood? 2729Come, 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 30Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him out and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and 31sold 32him to the Ishmaelites for 33twenty shekels of silver. So 34they brought Joseph into Egypt.

29Now Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he 35tore his garments. 30He returned to his brothers and said, “36The boy is not there; as for me, where am I to go?” 31So 37they took Joseph’s tunic, and slaughtered a male goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood; 32and they sent the 38multicolored tunic and brought it to their father and said, “We found this; please 39examine it to see whether it is your son’s tunic or not.” 33Then he 40examined it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. 41A vicious animal has devoured him; 42Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 34So Jacob 43tore 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 44go down to Sheol in mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him. 36Meanwhile, the 45Midianites 46sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer, the captain of the bodyguard.