[1] Jacob lived in the land of his father`s travels, in the land of Canaan.
[2] This is the history of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being
seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. He was a boy
with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father`s wives. Joseph brought an
evil report of them to their father. [3] Now Israel loved Joseph more than
all his children, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a
coat of many colors. [4] His brothers saw that their father loved him more
than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn`t speak peaceably to
him. [5] Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they
hated him all the more. [6] He said to them, "Please hear this dream which
I have dreamed: [7] for, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and
behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves
came around, and bowed down to my sheaf." [8] His brothers said to him,
"Will you indeed reign over us? Or will you indeed have dominion over us?"
They hated him all the more for his dreams and for his words. [9] He
dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, "Behold,
I have dreamed yet another dream: and behold, the sun and the moon and
eleven stars bowed down to me." [10] 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? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to
bow ourselves down to you to the earth?" [11] His brothers envied him; but
his father kept this saying in mind. [12] His brothers went to feed their
father`s flock in Shechem. [13] Israel said to Joseph, "Aren`t your
brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them."
He said to him, "Here I am." [14] He said to him, "Go now, see whether it
is well with your brothers, and well with the flock; and bring me word
again." So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
[15] A certain man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field:
and the man asked him, saying, "What are you looking for?" [16] He said, "I
am looking for my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are feeding the
flock." [17] The man said, "They have left here, for I heard them say, `Let
us go to Dothan.`" Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in
Dothan. [18] They saw him afar off, and before he came near to them, they
conspired against him to kill him. [19] They said one to another, "Behold,
this dreamer comes. [20] Come now therefore, and let`s kill him, and cast
him into one of the pits, and we will say, `An evil animal has devoured
him.` We will see what will become of his dreams." [21] Reuben heard it,
and delivered him out of their hand, and said, "Let`s not take his life."
[22] Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is
in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him" - that he might deliver him out
of their hand, to restore him to his father. [23] It happened, when Joseph
came to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his coat, the coat of
many colors that was on him; [24] and they took him, and threw him into the
pit. The pit was empty. There was no water in it. [25] They sat down to eat
bread, and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and saw a caravan of
Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spices and
balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. [26] Judah said to his
brothers, "What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
[27] Come, and let`s sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not let our hand be
on him; for he is our brother, our flesh." His brothers listened to him.
[28] Midianites who were merchants passed by, and they drew and lifted up
Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces
of silver. They brought Joseph into Egypt. [29] Reuben returned to the pit;
and saw that Joseph wasn`t in the pit; and he tore his clothes. [30] He
returned to his brothers, and said, "The child is no more; and I, where
will I go?" [31] They took Joseph`s coat, and killed a male goat, and
dipped the coat in the blood. [32] They took the coat of many colors, and
they brought it to their father, and said, "We have found this. Examine it,
now, whether it is your son`s coat or not." [33] He recognized it, and
said, "It is my son`s coat. An evil animal has devoured him. Joseph is
without doubt torn in pieces." [34] Jacob tore his clothes, and put
sackcloth on 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. He said, "For I will go down to Sheol to my son mourning." His
father wept for him. [36] The Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar,
an officer of Pharaoh`s, the captain of the guard.
