1 ARST Jacob continued to live in the region of Canaan where his father{ Isaac} had lived for a while{ as a foreigner}. BSB BSB: Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided, the land of Canaan.
2 ARST Here is{ more of} the record about Jacob and his family:{ One day}{ his} seventeen- year- old son Joseph was taking care of the{ family’ s} flocks{ of sheep and goats}. Joseph was helping his brothers{ who were} the sons of his father’ s{ servant} wives Bilhah and Zilpah, and he told their father about the bad things they were doing. BSB BSB: This is the account of Jacob. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was tending the flock with his brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah, and he brought their father a bad report about them.
3 ARST Now Israel,{ that is, Jacob,} loved Joseph more than any of his other sons because he was born to him when he was old. So he made a{ special} robe for Joseph that had many colors. BSB BSB: Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors.
4 ARST When Joseph’ s brothers realized that their father loved Joseph more than the rest of them, they hated him so much that they would not talk to him in a friendly manner. BSB BSB: When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
5 ARST { One night} Joseph had a dream, and he told his brothers about it. That made them hate him even more{ than before}. BSB BSB: Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.
6 ARST { This is what} he told them,“Please listen to this dream that I had: BSB BSB: He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had:
7 ARST { In it} I saw us{ working} out in a field{ cutting and} tying bundles{ of grain stalks}. Then suddenly the bundle that I had made stood up straight. Then I saw that the bundles you had made stood around{ my bundle} and bowed down to my bundle{ to show respect}.” BSB BSB: We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine.”
8 ARST His brothers responded to him,“Do you really expect to be our king? You will never rule over us!” So they hated him even more{ intensely}{ than they did before} because of what he had said{ to them} about his dreams. BSB BSB: “Do you intend to reign over us?” his brothers asked. “Will you actually rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and his statements.
9 ARST Then Joseph had another dream that he{ also} told to his brothers. He said,“Listen, I{ just} had another dream, and{ in it} I saw that the sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowed down{ to the ground} before me{ to show respect}.” BSB BSB: Then Joseph had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”
10 ARST Later Joseph told{ the same dream} to{ both} his father and his brothers, but his father scolded him by saying,“That{ is} a strange dream that you had! Do you really expect your mother and me and your brothers to bow down before you?” BSB BSB: He told his father and brothers, but his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream that you have had? Will your mother and brothers and I actually come and bow down to the ground before you?”
11 ARST So Joseph’ s brothers were jealous of him, but his father continued to think about what it all could mean. 37:12-36 BSB BSB: And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said.
12 ARST Sometime after that, Joseph’ s brothers took their father’ s flock{ s}{ of sheep and goats} to graze{ in the fields} near{ the city of} Shechem. BSB BSB: Some time later, Joseph’s brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks near Shechem.
13 ARST Then{ one day} Israel said to Joseph,“As you know, your brothers are tending{ our flocks} near{ the city of} Shechem. Get ready so that I can send you to them.” Joseph responded,“I’ m ready{ to go}.” BSB BSB: Israel said to him, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flocks at Shechem? Get ready; I am sending you to them.” “I am ready,” Joseph replied.
14 ARST Then Israel told him,“Please go and check on how your brothers and the flock{ s} are doing. Then report back to me{ what you find out}.” So Israel sent him{ on his way} from{ their home in} the valley near{ the city of} Hebron, and Joseph traveled to{ the city of} Shechem. BSB BSB: Then Israel told him, “Go now and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. And when Joseph arrived in Shechem,
15 ARST { When he arrived there,} a man saw him searching around in the{ nearby} fields and asked him,“What are you looking for?” BSB BSB: a man found him wandering in the field and asked, “What are you looking for?”
16 ARST He replied,“I am looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are tending{ their flocks}?” BSB BSB: “I am looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Can you please tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?”
17 ARST The man answered,“They were here and then left, but I overheard them say that they were going to{ the town of} Dothan.” So Joseph followed his brothers and caught up with them near{ the town of} Dothan. BSB BSB: “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph set out after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
18 ARST But they saw him while he was still some distance away, and before he reached them, they made plans to kill him. BSB BSB: Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him.
19 ARST They said to each other{ about him},“Look, here comes that expert dreamer! BSB BSB: “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another.
20 ARST Come on, let’ s kill him and throw his body into one of the pits{ here}. Then we can tell{ people} that a vicious animal ate him up, and we will watch if his dreams come true!” BSB BSB: “Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!”
21 ARST But Reuben heard{ their plan}, so he{ tried to} rescue Joseph from them by urging them,“We should not kill him.” BSB BSB: When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said.
22 ARST Then he continued,“You must not take his life.{ Instead} put him into this pit{ here} in the desert, but you must not harm him.” Reuben was planning to rescue Joseph from them and take him back{ home} to their father. BSB BSB: “Do not shed his blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands and return him to his father.
23 ARST When Joseph reached his brothers, they{ took hold of him and} ripped off the colorful robe that he was wearing. BSB BSB: So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the robe of many colors he was wearing—
24 ARST Then they grabbed him and put him into the pit. The pit{ was} empty and{ completely} dry inside. BSB BSB: and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it.
25 ARST Then{ some of} Joseph’ s brothers sat down to eat a meal.{ While they were eating,} they looked around and noticed{ that} a{ large} group of Ishmaelite{ traders} was traveling{ toward them} from{ the region of} Gilead. Their camels were loaded with{ expensive} spices, healing salve, and incense{ that} they were taking down to{ the country of} Egypt{ to sell there}. BSB BSB: And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt.
26 ARST So Judah urged to his brothers,“We will not gain anything by killing our brother and trying to hide it! BSB BSB: Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?
27 ARST { Instead,} come on, let’ s sell him to those Ishmaelite{ traders}{ over there} so that we will not be guilty of harming him. After all, he{ is} a member of our family, our own brother.” Judah’ s brothers agreed{ with him}. BSB BSB: Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed.
28 ARST So when the Midianite{(that is, Ishmaelite)} traders came by{ them},{ some of} Joseph’ s brothers pulled Joseph up out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty{ pieces of} silver. Then the Ishmaelites took him to{ the country of} Egypt. BSB BSB: So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
29 ARST Later Reuben came back to the pit, and he was shocked to see that Joseph was not there! So he tore his clothes{ to show distress}. BSB BSB: When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,
30 ARST Then he went to his brothers and exclaimed{ to them},“Joseph is gone! Now I do not know what to do!” BSB BSB: returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”
31 ARST So Joseph’ s brothers killed a young goat and dipped Joseph’ s robe in the{ goat’ s} blood. BSB BSB: Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood.
32 ARST Then they had someone take the colorful robe back to their father and say{ to him}{ for them},“We found this{ robe}. Please look at it{ to see} whether or not it is your son’ s.” BSB BSB: They sent the robe of many colors to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe or not.”
33 ARST Jacob recognized the robe and exclaimed,“{ This is} my son{ Joseph}’ s robe! Clearly a fierce animal has torn him to bits and eaten him up!” BSB BSB: His father recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”
34 ARST Then Jacob tore his clothes{ in grief}, put on mourning clothes, and for many days he mourned that his son had died. BSB BSB: Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
35 ARST All Jacob’ s sons and daughters came{ to him}{ and tried} to console him, but he did not let them comfort him. Instead he said{ to them},“{ No,} I will continue to mourn{ for my son} until I{ die and} go down to be with him in the afterworld.” So Joseph’ s father continued to mourn for him. BSB BSB: All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him.
36 ARST Meanwhile, in{ the country of} Egypt, the Midianite{ traders} sold Joseph to Potiphar,{ who was} an officer under Pharaoh{ the king of Egypt};{ he was} the captain over the{ palace} guards. BSB BSB: Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.