37Genesis 37

Joseph and His Brothers

1Jacob lived in the land of Canaan, where his father Isaac had lived,Select Genesis 37:1

2and this is the story of his family. When Jacob's son Joseph was 17 years old, he took care of the sheep with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah. But he was always telling his father all sorts of bad things about his brothers.Select Genesis 37:2

3Jacob loved Joseph more than he did any of his other sons, because Joseph was born when Jacob was very old. Jacob had even given Joseph a fancy coatSelect Genesis 37:3

4which showed that Joseph was his favorite son, and so Joseph's brothers hated him and would not be friendly to him.Select Genesis 37:4

5One day, Joseph told his brothers what he had dreamed, and they hated him even more.Select Genesis 37:5

6Joseph said, “Let me tell you about my dream.Select Genesis 37:6

7We were out in the field, tying up bundles of wheat. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles gathered around and bowed down to it.”Select Genesis 37:7

8His brothers asked, “Do you really think you are going to be king and rule over us?” Now they hated Joseph more than ever because of what he had said about his dream.Select Genesis 37:8

9Joseph later had another dream, and he told his brothers, “Listen to what else I dreamed. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowed down to me.”Select Genesis 37:9

10When he told his father about this dream, his father became angry and said, “What's that supposed to mean? Are your mother and I and your brothers all going to come and bow down to you?”Select Genesis 37:10

11Joseph's brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept wondering about the dream.Select Genesis 37:11

Joseph Is Sold and Taken to Egypt

12One day when Joseph's brothers had taken the sheep to a pasture near Shechem,Select Genesis 37:12

13his father Jacob said to him, “I want you to go to your brothers. They are with the sheep near Shechem.” “Yes, sir,” Joseph answered.Select Genesis 37:13

14His father said, “Go and find out how your brothers and the sheep are doing. Then come back and let me know.” So he sent him from Hebron Valley. Joseph was near ShechemSelect Genesis 37:14

15and wandering through the fields, when a man asked, “What are you looking for?”Select Genesis 37:15

16Joseph answered, “I'm looking for my brothers who are watching the sheep. Can you tell me where they are?”Select Genesis 37:16

17“They're not here anymore,” the man replied. “I overheard them say they were going to Dothan.” Joseph left and found his brothers in Dothan.Select Genesis 37:17

18But before he got there, they saw him coming and made plans to kill him.Select Genesis 37:18

19They said to one another, “Look, here comes the hero of those dreams!Select Genesis 37:19

20Let's kill him and throw him into a pit and say that some wild animal ate him. Then we'll see what happens to those dreams.”Select Genesis 37:20

21Reuben heard this and tried to protect Joseph from them. “Let's not kill him,” he said.Select Genesis 37:21

22“Don't murder him or even harm him. Just throw him into a well out here in the desert.” Reuben planned to rescue Joseph later and take him back to his father.Select Genesis 37:22

23When Joseph came to his brothers, they pulled off his fancy coatSelect Genesis 37:23

24and threw him into a dry well.Select Genesis 37:24

25As Joseph's brothers sat down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with all kinds of spices that they were taking to Egypt.Select Genesis 37:25

26So Judah said, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and hide his body?Select Genesis 37:26

27Let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not harm him. After all, he is our brother.” And the others agreed.Select Genesis 37:27

28When the Midianite merchants came by, Joseph's brothers took him out of the well, and for 20 pieces of silver they sold him to the Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt.Select Genesis 37:28

29When Reuben returned to the well and did not find Joseph there, he tore his clothes in sorrow.Select Genesis 37:29

30Then he went back to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”Select Genesis 37:30

31Joseph's brothers killed a goat and dipped Joseph's fancy coat in its blood.Select Genesis 37:31

32After this, they took the coat to their father and said, “We found this! Look at it carefully and see if it belongs to your son.”Select Genesis 37:32

33Jacob knew it was Joseph's coat and said, “It's my son's coat! Joseph has been torn to pieces and eaten by some wild animal.”Select Genesis 37:33

34Jacob mourned for Joseph a long time, and to show his sorrow he tore his clothes and wore sackcloth.Select Genesis 37:34

35All of Jacob's children came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “I will go to my grave, mourning for my son.” So Jacob kept on grieving.Select Genesis 37:35

36Meanwhile, the Midianites had sold Joseph in Egypt to a man named Potiphar, who was the king's official in charge of the palace guard.Select Genesis 37:36