Genesis 37

Joseph’s Dreams

1Now JacobH3290 livedH3427 in 1the landH776 whereH4033 his fatherH1 had livedH4033 asH4033 aH4033 strangerH4033, in the landH776 of CanaanH3667. 2TheseH428 are the records of the generationsH8435 of JacobH3290.

JosephH3130, when he was 2seventeenH7651H6240 yearsH8141 of ageH1121, was pasturingH7462 the flockH6629 with his brothersH251, while he was still a youthH5288, along with 3the sonsH1121 of BilhahH1090 and the sonsH1121 of ZilpahH2153, his father’sH1 wivesH802. And JosephH3130 broughtH935 back a 4badH1681H7451 reportH1681 about them to their fatherH1. 3Now IsraelH3478 lovedH157 JosephH3130 moreH4480 thanH4480 allH3605 his other sonsH1121, becauseH3588 he was 5the sonH1121 of his oldH2208 ageH2208; and he madeH6213 him a 67multicoloredH6446 tunicH3801. 4And his brothersH251 sawH7200 that their fatherH1 lovedH157 him moreH4480 thanH4480 allH3605 his brothersH251; and so they 8hatedH8130 him and couldH3201 not speakH1696 to him 9on friendlyH7965 termsH7965.

5Then JosephH3130 1011hadH2492 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 12hadH2492; 7for beholdH2009, we were bindingH481 sheavesH485 in the fieldH7704, and beholdH2009, my sheafH485 stoodH6965 upH6965 and alsoH1571 remainedH5324 standingH5324; and beholdH2009, your sheavesH485 gatheredH5437 aroundH5437 and 13bowedH2331 downH2331 to my sheafH485.” 8Then his brothersH251 saidH559 to him, “14Are 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.

9Then he 15hadH2492 yetH5750 anotherH312 dreamH2472, and informedH5608 his brothersH251 of it, and saidH559, “BeholdH2009, I have 16hadH2492 yetH5750 another dreamH2472; and beholdH2009, the sunH8121 and the moonH3394, and elevenH259H6240 starsH3556 were bowingH2331 downH2331 to me.” 10He also toldH5608 it to his fatherH1 as well as to his brothersH251; and his fatherH1 rebukedH1605 him and saidH559 to him, “WhatH4100 is thisH2088 dreamH2472 that you have 17hadH2492? Am I and your motherH517 and 18your brothersH251 actuallyH935 going to comeH935 to bowH2331 downH2331 to the groundH776 before you?” 11And 19his brothersH251 wereH7065 jealousH7065 of him, but his fatherH1 20keptH8104 the matterH1697 in mind.

12Then his brothersH251 wentH1980 to pastureH7462 their father’sH1 flockH6629 in ShechemH7927. 13And IsraelH3478 saidH559 to JosephH3130, “Are your brothersH251 not pasturingH7462 the flock in 21ShechemH7927? ComeH1980, and I will sendH7971 you to them.” And he saidH559 to him, “22I will goH2009.” 14Then he saidH559 to him, “GoH1980 nowH4994 and seeH7200 aboutH7200 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 23HebronH2275, and he cameH935 to ShechemH7927.

15A manH376 foundH4672 him, and beholdH2009, he was wanderingH8582 in the fieldH7704; and the manH376 askedH7592 him, “24WhatH4100 are you lookingH1245 forH1245?” 16He saidH559, “I am lookingH1245 forH1245 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’s goH1980 to 25DothanH1886.’” So JosephH3130 wentH1980 after his brothersH251 and foundH4672 them at DothanH1886.

The Plot against Joseph

1826When they sawH7200 him from a distanceH7350, and beforeH2962 he cameH7126 closerH7126 to them, they 27plottedH5230 againstH854 him to putH4191 him toH4191 deathH4191. 19They saidH559 to oneH376 anotherH251, “28HereH2009 comesH935 thisH1976 dreamerH1167H2472! 20NowH6258 then, comeH1980 and let’s killH2026 him, and throwH7993 him into oneH259 of the pitsH953; and 29we will sayH559, ‘A viciousH7451 animalH2421 devouredH398 him.’ Then we will seeH7200 whatH4100 will becomeH1961 of his dreamsH2472!” 21But 30ReubenH7205 heardH8085 this and rescuedH5337 him out of their handsH3027 31by sayingH559, “Let’s not 32takeH5221 his lifeH5315.” 22Then ReubenH7205 saidH559 to them, “ShedH8210 noH408 bloodH1818. ThrowH7993 him into thisH2088 pitH953 that is in the wildernessH4057, but do not layH7971 a handH3027 on him”--soH4616 thatH4616 later he might rescueH5337 him out of their handsH3027, to returnH7725 him to his fatherH1. 23So it cameH1961 aboutH1961, whenH3512 JosephH3130 33reachedH935 his brothersH251, that they strippedH6584 JosephH3130 of his tunicH3801, the 34multicoloredH6446 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. But as they raisedH5375 their eyesH5869 and lookedH7200, beholdH2009, a caravanH736 of 36IshmaelitesH3459 was comingH935 from GileadH1568, with their camelsH1581 carryingH5375 37labdanumH5219 resinH5219, 38balsamH6875, and 39myrrhH3910, 40onH1980 their wayH1980 to bringH3381 them downH3381 to EgyptH4714. 26And JudahH3063 saidH559 to his brothersH251, “WhatH4100 profitH1215 is it for us to killH2026 our brotherH251 and 41coverH3680 upH3680 his bloodH1818? 2742ComeH1980, and let’s 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 43MidianiteH4084 tradersH5503 passedH5674 byH5674, so they pulledH4900 him outH4900 and liftedH5927 JosephH3130 out of the pitH953, and 44soldH4376 45him to the IshmaelitesH3459 for 46twentyH6242 shekels of silverH3701. So 47they broughtH935 JosephH3130 into EgyptH4714.

29Now ReubenH7205 returnedH7725 to the pitH953, and beholdH2009, JosephH3130 was not in the pitH953; so he 48toreH7167 his garmentsH899. 30He returnedH7725 to his brothersH251 and saidH559, “49The boyH3206 is not there; as for me, whereH575 am I to goH935?” 31So 50they tookH3947 Joseph’sH3130 tunicH3801, and slaughteredH7819 a maleH8163 goatH8163, and dippedH2881 the tunicH3801 in the bloodH1818; 32and they sentH7971 the 51multicoloredH6446 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 viciousH7451 animalH2421 has devouredH398 him; 55JosephH3130 has surelyH2963 been tornH2963 toH2963 piecesH2963!” 34So JacobH3290 56toreH7167 his clothesH8071, and putH7760 on a sackclothH8242 undergarment over his waistH4975, and mournedH56 for his sonH1121 manyH7227 daysH3117. 35Then allH3605 his sonsH1121 and allH3605 his daughtersH1323 gotH6965 upH6965 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.