Genesis 37

1 Jacob lived in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan.NHEB — Genesis 37:1

2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, tended the flock with his brothers; he was an assistant to the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report about them to their father.NHEB — Genesis 37:2

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he had been born to him in his old age. And he made a long ornamented robe for him.NHEB — Genesis 37:3

4 His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn’t speak a kind word to him.NHEB — Genesis 37:4

5 Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more.NHEB — Genesis 37:5

6 He said to them, "Please listen to this dream I had:NHEB — Genesis 37:6

7 And look, we were binding sheaves in the field, and look, my sheaf arose and also stood upright. And look, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf."NHEB — Genesis 37:7

8 Then his brothers said to him, "Will you indeed reign over us? Or will you indeed rule over us?" So they hated him all the more for his dreams and for what he said.NHEB — Genesis 37:8

9 And he had another dream, and told it to his father and to his brothers, and said, "Look, I had yet another dream, and look, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me."NHEB — Genesis 37:9

10 When he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him, and said to him, "What is this dream that you had? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come and bow down to the ground in front of you?"NHEB — Genesis 37:10

11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept thinking about the matter.NHEB — Genesis 37:11

12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem.NHEB — Genesis 37:12

13 And Israel said to Joseph, "Aren’t your brothers pasturing the flock near Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them." And he said to him, "I am ready."NHEB — Genesis 37:13

14 So he said to him, "Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers and well with the flock, and report back to me." So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.NHEB — Genesis 37:14

15 And a man found him, and look, he was wandering in the field. And the man asked him, "What are you looking for?"NHEB — Genesis 37:15

16 He said, "I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock."NHEB — Genesis 37:16

17 The man said, "They have left here, for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan.NHEB — Genesis 37:17

18 Now they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them they plotted against him to kill him.NHEB — Genesis 37:18

19 And they said to one another, "Look, this dreamer is coming.NHEB — Genesis 37:19

20 Come now, and let’s kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns, and we will say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we will see what will become of his dreams."NHEB — Genesis 37:20

21 But Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hands, and said, "Let’s not take his life."NHEB — Genesis 37:21

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 hands, to restore him to his father.NHEB — Genesis 37:22

23 It happened, when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his robe, the long ornamented robe that he was wearing.NHEB — Genesis 37:23

24 And they took him and threw him into the cistern. (Now the pit was empty. There was no water in it.)NHEB — Genesis 37:24

25 Then they sat down to eat a meal. And they looked up, and look, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing aromatic gum and balm and myrrh on their way to carry them down to Egypt.NHEB — Genesis 37:25

26 Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?NHEB — Genesis 37:26

27 Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not lay a hand on him, for he is our brother, our flesh." And his brothers agreed.NHEB — Genesis 37:27

28 So the Midianites merchants passed by, and they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the cistern, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they brought Joseph to Egypt.NHEB — Genesis 37:28

29 And Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph wasn’t in the cistern; and he tore his clothes.NHEB — Genesis 37:29

30 He went back to his brothers and said, "The boy is gone. Now, what am I to do?"NHEB — Genesis 37:30

31 They took Joseph’s robe and killed a male goat and dipped the robe in the blood.NHEB — Genesis 37:31

32 And they sent the long ornamented robe and they brought it to their father, and said, "We found this. Please examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe or not."NHEB — Genesis 37:32

33 And he recognized it, and said, "It is my son’s robe. A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces."NHEB — Genesis 37:33

34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.NHEB — Genesis 37:34

35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, "Indeed, I will go down to Sheol to my son mourning." And his father wept for him.NHEB — Genesis 37:35

36 Now the Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.NHEB — Genesis 37:36