Genesis, 37

1. And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.

1. Jacob lived in the land where hisfather had settled, 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.

2. this is the history of jacob's family. Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was shepherding the flock with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives. Joseph informed his father of the bad reputation they had.

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.

3. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other children, for he was the son of his old age and he had a coat with long sleeves made for him.

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.

4. His brothers who saw that their father loved him more than he loved them, hated him and could no longer speak to him in a friendly way.

5. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told [it] his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.

5. Joseph had a dream which, when he told it to his brothers, made them hate him the more:

6. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:

6. "Listen to the dream I had.

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.

7. We were binding sheaves in the field when my sheaf rose and stood up and your sheaves gathered round and bowed down 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.

8. His brothers said to him, "So you want to rule us or lord it over us!" They hated him even more because of his dreams and what he said.

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.

9. Joseph had another dream which he told to his brothers, "I saw the sun, the moon and seven stars bowing down before 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?

10. When he told this to his father and brothers his father rebuked him, "What is this dream of yours? Are all of us, myself, your mother and your brothers to bow to the ground before you?"

11. And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

11. His brothers were jealous of him but his father kept in mind what he had said.

12. And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.

12. His brothers had gone to pasture their father's flock at 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].

13. and Israel said to Joseph, "Your brothers are pasturing the flock at Shechem; come along, I'll send you to them." Joseph replied, "Here I am."

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.

14. Then his father said, "Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flock; then come back and tell me." Jacob sent him from the valley of Hebron and Joseph arrived at 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?

15. A man met him as he was wandering through the countryside and said to him, "What are you looking for?"

16. And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed [their flocks].

16. He replied, "I'm looking for my brothers, please tell me where they are pasturing the flock."

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.

17. The man said, "They have gone from here, for I heard them say: Let's go to Dothan!" So Joseph went off after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

18. And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

18. They saw him in the distance and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.

19. And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.

19. They said to one another, "Here comes the specialist in dreams!

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.

20. Now's the time! Let's kill him and throw him into a well. We'll say a wild animal devoured him. Then we'll see what his dreams were all about!"

21. And Reuben heard [it], and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.

21. But Reuben heard this and tried to save him from their hands

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.

22. saying, "Let us not kill him; shed no blood! Throw him in this well in the wilderness, but do him no violence." This he said to save him from them and take him back to his father.

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;

23. So as soon as Joseph arrived, they stripped him of his long-sleeved coat that he wore

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

24. and then took him and threw him in the well. Now the well was empty, without water.

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.

25. They were sitting for a meal when they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, their camels laden with spices, balm and myrrh, which they were taking down to Egypt.

26. And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit [is it] if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?

26. Judah then said to his brothers, "What do we gain by killing our brother and hiding 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.

27. Come! We'll sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother and our own flesh!" His brothers agreed to this.

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.

28. So when the Midianite merchants came along they pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the well. For twenty pieces of silver they sold Joseph to the Midianites, who took him with them to Egypt.

29. And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph [was] not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.

29. When Reuben went back to the well, Joseph was no longer there. He tore his clothes

30. And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child [is] not; and I, whither shall I go?

30. and returned to his brothers and said, "The boy has disappeared, and what am I to do?"

31. And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;

31. They then took Joseph's coat, killed a goat and dipped the coat in its 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.

32. They sent the long-sleeved coat and had it taken to their father, saying, "This we have found; see if it is your son's coat or not."

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.

33. He recognized it and said, "It is my son's coat. Joseph has been attacked by a wild animal and torn to pieces."

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

34. Jacob then tore his garments, put on sackcloth and mourned his son for a long time.

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.

35. All his sons and daughters came to comfort him but he refused to be consoled saying, "No, I shall go down to the land of Shadows, mourning for my son." 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.

36. Meanwhile the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the commander of the guard.