Joseph’s Dreams

1And Jacob dwelt in the land of the sojournings of his father, in the land of Canaan.

2These are the generations of Jacob: Joseph, a son of seven and ten years, was shepherding the flock with his brothers, and the boy was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, wives of his father. And Joseph brought an evil report of them to his father.

3And Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a long sleeved tunic.† 4And his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him and were not able speak to him peaceably.

5And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers. And they continued hating him. Even more 6and he said to them, “Hear, please, this dream that I have dreamed, 7and behold, we were binding sheaves in the midst of the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your⁺ sheaves gathered around and bowed themselves to my sheaf.”

8And his brothers said to him, “Will you surely reign … over us? Or Will you surely rule … over us?” And they continued hating him even more for his dreams and for his words.

9And he dreamed yet another dream, and he told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream, and behold, the sun and the moon and one and ten stars were bowing themselves to me.”

10And he told it to his father and to his brothers. And his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will we surely come—I and your mother and your brothers—to bow down before you to the earth?” 11And his brothers envied him, and his father kept the matter in mind.

Joseph Sold into Egypt
(Acts 7:9–14)

12And his brothers went to shepherd the flock of their father in Shechem. 13And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers shepherding in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.”

And he said to him, “Behold, it is I.”

14And he said to him, “Go, please, and see the welfare of your brothers, and the welfare of the flock, and bring back to me word.”

And he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem. 15And a man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, saying, “What are you seeking?”

16And he said, “I am seeking my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are shepherding.”

17And the man said, “They have journeyed from this place. For I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” And Joseph went after his brothers and he found them in Dothan.

18And they saw him from a distance, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him. 19And they said each man to his brother, “Behold, this master of dreams is coming! 20And now come and let us kill him and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say an evil beast has devoured him. And we will see what will become of his dreams.”

21And Reuben heard, and he delivered him out of their hand and said, “let us not take his life.” 22Reuben said to them, “Do not shed blood; cast him into this pit, which is in the wilderness. And do not stretch out a hand against him,”—that he might deliver him out of their hand to return him to his father.

23And it came to pass when Joseph came to his brothers that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the long sleeved tunic that was on him, 24and they took him and cast him into the pit. And the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

25And they sat down to eat bread. And they lifted their eyes and they saw, and behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, and their camels were bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going to bring them down to Egypt.

26And Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let our hand not be upon him, for he is our brother, our flesh.” And his brothers listened. 28And men passed by, Midianite traders; and they pulled up and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and they sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver.† And they brought Joseph to Egypt.

29And Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit. And he tore his clothes, 30and he returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is not! And I, where am I going?”

Jacob Mourns Joseph

31And they took the tunic of Joseph and they slaughtered a male goat and they dipped the tunic in the blood. 32And they sent the long sleeved tunic, and they brought it to their father and said, “We have found this. Please recognize, is it the tunic of your son or not.”

33And he recognized it and said, “My son's tunic! An evil beast has devoured him! Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 34And Jacob tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his waist, and he mourned for his son many days. 35And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him, and he refused to be comforted. And he said, “For I shall go down to my son mourning, to Sheol.” And his father wept for him.

36And the Midianites sold him into Egypt, to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guards.