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.
