1 Now Jacob lived in AGen 17:8; 28:4the land 1Lit of his father’s sojourningswhere his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan. 2 These are the records of the generations of Jacob.

Joseph, when AGen 41:46seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers while he was still a youth, along with BGen 35:25, 26the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought back a C1 Sam 2:22-24bad report about them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was AGen 44:20the son of his old age; and he made him a 1Or full-length robeBGen 37:23, 32varicolored tunic. 4 His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they AGen 27:41; 1 Sam 17:28hated him and could not speak to him 1Lit in peaceon friendly terms.

5 Then Joseph 1Lit dreamedAGen 28:12; 31:10, 11, 24had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I have 1Lit dreamedhad; 7 for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf rose up and also stood erect; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and AGen 42:6, 9; 43:26; 44:14bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 Then his brothers said to him, “AGen 49:26; Deut 33:16Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

9 Now he 1Lit dreamedhad still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said, “Lo, I have 1Lit dreamedhad still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 He related it to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have 1Lit dreamedhad? Shall I and your mother and AGen 27:29your brothers actually come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground?” 11 AActs 7:9His brothers were jealous of him, but his father BDan 7:28; Luke 2:19, 51kept the saying in mind.

12 Then his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock in Shechem. 13 Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock in AGen 33:18-20Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “1Lit Behold meI will go.” 14 Then he said to him, “Go now and see about the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the valley of AGen 13:18; 23:2, 19; 35:27; Josh 14:14, 15; Judg 1:10Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

15 A man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, “1Lit saying, “What...?”What are you looking for?” 16 He said, “I am looking for my brothers; please tell me where they are pasturing the flock.” 17 Then the man said, “They have moved from here; for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to A2 Kin 6:13Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

18 1Or AndWhen they saw him from a distance and before he came close to them, they APs 31:13; 37:12, 32; Mark 14:1; John 11:53; Acts 23:12plotted against him to put him to death. 19 They said to one another, “1Lit Behold, this master of dreams comesHere comes this dreamer! 20  “Now then, come and let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; and AGen 37:32, 33we will say, ‘A wild beast devoured him.’ Then let us see what will become of his dreams!” 21 But AGen 42:22Reuben heard this and rescued him out of their hands and said, “Let us not 1Lit smite his soultake his life.” 22 Reuben further said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay hands on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hands, to restore him to his father. 23 So it came about, when Joseph 1Lit came toreached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his 2Or full-length robetunic, the varicolored tunic that was on him; 24 and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, without any water in it.

25 Then they sat down to eat 1Lit breada meal. And as they raised their eyes and looked, behold, a caravan of AGen 16:11, 12; 37:28; 39:1Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing 2Or ladanum spiceBGen 43:11aromatic gum and 3Or masticCJer 8:22; 46:11balm and 4Or resinous barkmyrrh, 5Lit goingon their way to bring them down to Egypt. 26 Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it for us to kill our brother and AGen 37:20cover up his blood? 27  “AGen 42:21Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then some AGen 37:25; Judg 6:1-3; 8:22, 24Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and BGen 45:4, 5; Ps 105:17; Acts 7:9sold 1Lit Josephhim to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. Thus CGen 39:1they brought Joseph into Egypt.

29 Now Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he AGen 37:34; 44:13tore his garments. 30 He returned to his brothers and said, “AGen 42:13, 36The boy is not there; as for me, where am I to go?” 31 So AGen 37:3, 23they took Joseph’s tunic, and slaughtered a male goat and dipped the tunic in the blood; 32 and they sent the varicolored tunic and brought it to their father and said, “We found this; please 1Or recognizeexamine it to see whether it is your son’s tunic or not.” 33 Then he 1Or recognizedexamined it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. AGen 37:20A wild beast has devoured him; BGen 44:28Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 34 So Jacob AGen 37:29tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35 Then all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, “Surely I will AGen 25:8; 35:29; 42:38; 44:29, 31go down to Sheol in mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile, the 1Lit MedanitesMidianites AGen 39:1sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer, the captain of the bodyguard.