37:1 Jacob lived in the region
where his father had lived
in the
37:2 These were the descendants of Jacob:
When Joseph was seventeen years old
he tended flocks with his brothers
the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah
(his father's two wives).
He reported them poorly to his father.
37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph
greater than his other sons
because he was born when he was older.
So he made a colorful robe for him.
37:4 When his brothers found their father
loved him more than them
they abhored him
and could not speak nicely to him.
37:5 Then Joseph had a dream
and told this to his brothers.
They abhored him all the more.
37:6 He said to them:
Hear about this dream I had:
37:7 We were tying bundles of grain
in the field when suddenly
my bundle rose and stood upright
and your bundles surrounded mine
and then bowed down to it.
37:8 So his brothers said to him:
Will you now reign over us?
Indeed, will you be ruling us?
Then they abhored him more
because of his dream
and what he had told them.
37:9 Then he had another dream
and told this again to his brothers:
Behold, I had another dream
and this time the sun and moon
and eleven stars bowed down to me.
37:10 He told his father
along with his brothers
and his father rebuked him saying:
What is this dream you had?
Will myself and your mother
and your brothers all
come and bow ourselves
down on the ground before you?
37:11 His brothers envied him
but his father focused on business at hand.
37:12 Then his brothers went out
to graze their father's flocks in Shechem.
37:13 And Israel said to Joseph:
Aren’t your brothers grazing flocks in Shechem?
Come, I am going to send you to them.
Joseph responded:
That’s fine.
37:14 Then he said to him:
Please go and find out if all is well
with your brothers and the flocks
and relay that back to me.
Then he sent him away
from the
Then Joseph arrived at Shechem.
37:15 A certain man found him wandering
in the fields and asked him:
What are you looking for?
37:16 He responded:
I'm looking for my brothers.
Please, can you tell me where
they are grazing their flocks?
37:17 Then the man said:
They have left this place.
I heard them say:
Let's go to
Then Joseph went after his brothers
and found them near
37:18 When they saw him a ways away
before he reached them
they plotted to kill him.
37:19 Then they said to each other:
Here comes the dreamer!
37:20 Come on, let's go kill him
and throw him into a pit.
We’ll say that some evil beast
devoured him.
Then we'll see what becomes
of his dreams.
37:21 Once Reuben heard about this
he tried to save him from their harm, saying:
We should not kill him.
37:22 Then Reuben said to them:
Shed no blood.
Throw him into this pit in the woods.
But don't lay a hand on him.
Reuben said this to save him from them
and take him back to his father.
37:23 Once the brothers caught Joseph
they ripped his colorful robe off.
37:24 Then they grabbed him
and tossed him into the pit.
The pit was empty
as there was no water in it.
37:25 When they sat down to eat their meal
they looked up and saw a gang of Ishmaelites
arriving from
Their camels were loaded with spices
and balm and myrrh
bringing them down to
37:26 Then Judah said to his brothers:
What is the gain if we kill our brother
and cover up his blood?
37:27 Instead let’s sell him
to the Ishmaelites
and not lay a hand on him.
After all he is our brother
our own flesh and blood.
His brothers agreed to this.
37:28 Once the Midianite merchants passed
his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the pit
and sold him for twenty pieces of silver
to the Ishmaelites.
Then they brought Joseph to
37:29 When Reuben returned to the pit
he saw that Joseph wasn’t there.
He ripped his clothing.
37:30 He returned to his brothers and said:
The boy isn't there!
Where should I go now?
37:31 Then they took Joseph's robe
and dipped it in slaughtered goat blood.
37:32 They brought the colored robe
back to their father and said:
We have found this.
Tell us whether it is your son's robe.
37:33 He recognized it and said:
Yes it is my son's robe.
Some violent beast has devoured him.
Surely Joseph has been ripped to pieces.
37:34 Then Jacob ripped his clothing
and put sackcloth on
and mourned for his son for days.
37:35 All his sons and daughters came over
to comfort him but he refused comfort.
He said:
No I will continue to mourn my son
until I go into the grave.
Thus his father cried for him.
37:36 Then the Midianites sold Joseph
to Potiphar in
one of Pharaoh's officials
and the captain of the guard.
