1 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a
stranger, in the land of Canaan.
2 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.
3 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.
4 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.
5 And
Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet
the more.
6 And
he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
7 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 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.
9 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.
10 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?
11 And
his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
12 And
his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.
13 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.
14 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.
15 And
a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man
asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
16 And
he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.
17 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.
18 And
when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired
against him to slay him.
19 And
they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
20 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.
21 And
Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said,
Let us not kill him.
22 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.
23 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;
24 And
they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no
water in it.
25 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.
26 And
Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal
his blood?
27 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.
28 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.
29 And
Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not
in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
30 And
he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not;
and I, whither shall I go?
31 And
they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in
the blood;
32 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.
33 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.
34 And
Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his
son many days.
35 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.
36 And
the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain
of the guard.
