| New International Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. | 1Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided, the land of Canaan. |
| 2This is the account of Jacob's family line. Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them. | 2This is the account of Jacob. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was tending the flock with his brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah, and he brought their father a bad report about them. |
| 3Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. | 3Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors. |
| 4When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. | 4When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. |
| 5Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. | 5Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. |
| 6He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: | 6He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: |
| 7We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it." | 7We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine.” |
| 8His brothers said to him, "Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?" And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. | 8“Do you intend to reign over us?” his brothers asked. “Will you actually rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and his statements. |
| 9Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me." | 9Then Joseph had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” |
| 10When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?" | 10He told his father and brothers, but his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream that you have had? Will your mother and brothers and I actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” |
| 11His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind. | 11And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said. |
| 12Now his brothers had gone to graze their father's flocks near Shechem, | 12Some time later, Joseph’s brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks near Shechem. |
| 13and Israel said to Joseph, "As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them." "Very well," he replied. | 13Israel said to him, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flocks at Shechem? Get ready; I am sending you to them.” “I am ready,” Joseph replied. |
| 14So he said to him, "Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me." Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. When Joseph arrived at Shechem, | 14Then Israel told him, “Go now and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. And when Joseph arrived in Shechem, |
| 15a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, "What are you looking for?" | 15a man found him wandering in the field and asked, “What are you looking for?” |
| 16He replied, "I'm looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?" | 16“I am looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Can you please tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?” |
| 17"They have moved on from here," the man answered. "I heard them say, 'Let's go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. | 17“They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph set out after his brothers and found them at Dothan. |
| 18But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. | 18Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him. |
| 19"Here comes that dreamer!" they said to each other. | 19“Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another. |
| 20"Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his dreams." | 20“Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!” |
| 21When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. "Let's not take his life," he said. | 21When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said. |
| 22"Don't shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don't lay a hand on him." Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. | 22“Do not shed his blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands and return him to his father. |
| 23So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe--the ornate robe he was wearing-- | 23So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the robe of many colors he was wearing— |
| 24and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it. | 24and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it. |
| 25As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt. | 25And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt. |
| 26Judah said to his brothers, "What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? | 26Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? |
| 27Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood." His brothers agreed. | 27Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed. |
| 28So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. | 28So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. |
| 29When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. | 29When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes, |
| 30He went back to his brothers and said, "The boy isn't there! Where can I turn now?" | 30returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?” |
| 31Then they got Joseph's robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. | 31Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood. |
| 32They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, "We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son's robe." | 32They sent the robe of many colors to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe or not.” |
| 33He recognized it and said, "It is my son's robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces." | 33His father recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” |
| 34Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. | 34Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days. |
| 35All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. "No," he said, "I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave." So his father wept for him. | 35All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him. |
| 36Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard. | 36Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard. |
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