Genesis 37 (BSB)

1Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided, the land of Canaan.And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.

2This 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.These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.

3Now 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.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 colours.

4When 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.And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

5Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.

6He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had:And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:

7We 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.”For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.

8“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.And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

9Then 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.”And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.

10He 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?”And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?

11And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said.And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

12Some time later, Joseph’s brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks near Shechem.And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.

13Israel 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.And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.

14Then 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,And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

15a man found him wandering in the field and asked, “What are you looking for?”And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?

16“I am looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Can you please tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?”And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.

17“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.And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.

18Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him.And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

19“Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another.And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.

20“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!”Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

21When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said.And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.

22“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.And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

23So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the robe of many colors he was wearing—And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;

24and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it.And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

25And 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.And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.

26Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?

27Come, 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.Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.

28So 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.Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

29When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.

30returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?

31Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood.And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;

32They 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.”And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son’s coat or no.

33His father recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.

34Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.

35All 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.And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.

36Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, and captain of the guard.

Genesis 37

Joseph’s Dreams

Joseph Sold into Egypt

Jacob Mourns Joseph

You’ve read Genesis 37

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Genesis 37

Joseph’s Dreams

Joseph Sold into Egypt

Jacob Mourns Joseph

You’ve read Genesis 37

Go deeper