[1] Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of
Canaan. [2] This is the history of the family of Jacob. Joseph, being
seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; he was a
lad with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph
brought an ill report of them to their father. [3] Now Israel loved Joseph
more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age;
and he made him a long robe with sleeves. [4] But when his brothers saw
that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and
could not speak peaceably to him. [5] Now Joseph had a dream, and when he
told it to his brothers they only hated him the more. [6] He said to them,
"Hear this dream which I have dreamed: [7] behold, we were binding sheaves
in the field, and lo, my sheaf arose and stood upright; and behold, your
sheaves gathered round it, and bowed down to my sheaf." [8] His brothers
said to him, "Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to have
dominion over us?" So they hated him yet more for his dreams and for his
words. [9] Then he dreamed another dream, and told it to his brothers, and
said, "Behold, I have dreamed another dream; and behold, the sun, the moon,
and eleven stars were bowing down to me." [10] But when he told it to his
father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him, and said to him, "What
is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your
brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?" [11] And
his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
[12] Now his brothers went to pasture their father's flock near Shechem.
[13] And Israel said to Joseph, "Are not your brothers pasturing the flock
at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them." And he said to him, "Here I
am." [14] So he said to him, "Go now, see if it is well with your brothers,
and with the flock; and bring me word again." So he sent him from the
valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. [15] And a man found him
wandering in the fields; and the man asked him, "What are you seeking?"
[16] "I am seeking my brothers," he said, "tell me, I pray you, where they
are pasturing the flock." [17] And the man said, "They have gone away, for
I heard them say, `Let us go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his
brothers, and found them at Dothan. [18] They saw him afar off, and before
he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. [19] They said
to one another, "Here comes this dreamer. [20] Come now, let us kill him
and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild beast has
devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams." [21] But
when Reuben heard it, he delivered him out of their hands, saying, "Let us
not take his life." [22] And Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood; cast him
into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand upon him"--that he
might rescue him out of their hand, to restore him to his father. [23] So
when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the long
robe with sleeves that he wore; [24] and they took him and cast him into a
pit. The pit was empty, there was no water in it. [25] Then they sat down
to eat; and looking up they saw a caravan of Ish'maelites coming from
Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to
carry it down to Egypt. [26] Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit
is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood? [27] Come, let us sell
him to the Ish'maelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our
brother, our own flesh." And his brothers heeded him. [28] Then Mid'ianite
traders passed by; and they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit,
and sold him to the Ish'maelites for twenty shekels of silver; and they
took Joseph to Egypt. [29] When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that
Joseph was not in the pit, he rent his clothes [30] and returned to his
brothers, and said, "The lad is gone; and I, where shall I go?" [31] Then
they took Joseph's robe, and killed a goat, and dipped the robe in the
blood; [32] and they sent the long robe with sleeves and brought it to
their father, and said, "This we have found; see now whether it is your
son's robe or not." [33] And he recognized it, and said, "It is my son's
robe; a wild beast has devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn to
pieces." [34] Then Jacob rent his garments, and put sackcloth upon his
loins, and mourned for his son many days. [35] All his sons and all his
daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and said,
"No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning." Thus his father wept
for him. [36] Meanwhile the Mid'ianites had sold him in Egypt to
Pot'i-phar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.
