Genesis 37 Parallel Bible

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	AMP Amplified Bible	ESV English Standard Version	NIV New International Version
1	So Jacob (Israel) lived in the land where his father [Isaac] had been a stranger (sojourner, resident alien), in the land of Canaan.	Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.	Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan.
2	These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, when he was seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers [Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher]; the boy was with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s [secondary] wives; and Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father.	These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father.	This 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.
3	Now Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a [distinctive] multicolored tunic.	Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors.	Now 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.
4	His brothers saw that their father loved Joseph more than all of his brothers; so they hated him and could not [find it within themselves to] speak to him on friendly terms.	But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.	When 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.
5	Now Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him even more.	Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more.	Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more.
6	He said to them, “Please listen to [the details of] this dream which I have dreamed;	He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed:	He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had:
7	we [brothers] were binding sheaves [of grain stalks] in the field, and lo, my sheaf [suddenly] got up and stood upright and remained standing; and behold, your sheaves stood all around my sheaf and bowed down [in respect].”	Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.”	We 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.”
8	His brothers said to him, “Are you actually going to reign over us? Are you really going to rule and govern us as your subjects?” So they hated him even more for [telling them about] his dreams and for his [arrogant] words.	His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.	His 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.
9	But Joseph dreamed still another dream, and told it to his brothers [as well]. He said, “See here, I have again dreamed a dream, and lo, [this time I saw] eleven stars and the sun and the moon bowed down [in respect] to me!”	Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”	Then 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.”
10	He told it to his father as well as to his brothers; but his father rebuked him and said to him [in disbelief], “What is [the meaning of] this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come to bow down to the ground [in respect] before you?”	But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?”	When 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?”
11	Joseph’s brothers were envious and jealous of him, but his father kept the words [of Joseph] in mind [wondering about their meaning].	And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.	His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
12	Then his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem.	Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem.	Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem,
13	Israel (Jacob) said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing [the flock] at Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” And he said, “Here I am [ready to obey you].”	And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.”	and 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.
14	Then Jacob said to him, “Please go and see whether everything is all right with your brothers and all right with the flock; then bring word [back] to me.” So he sent him from the Hebron Valley, and he went to Shechem.	So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.	So 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,
15	Now a certain man found Joseph, and saw that he was wandering around and had lost his way in the field; so the man asked him, “What are you looking for?”	And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?”	a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?”
16	He said, “I am looking for my brothers. Please tell me where they are pasturing our flocks.”	“I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.”	He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?”
17	Then the man said, “[They were here, but] they have moved on from this place. I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.	And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.	“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.
18	And when they saw him from a distance, even before he came close to them, they plotted to kill him.	They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him.	But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.
19	They said to one another, “Look, here comes this dreamer.	They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer.	“Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other.
20	Now then, come and let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits (cisterns, underground water storage); then we will say [to our father], ‘A wild animal killed and devoured him’; and we shall see what will become of his dreams!”	Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.”	“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.”
21	Now Reuben [the eldest] heard this and rescued him from their hands and said, “Let us not take his life.”	But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.”	When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said.
22	Reuben said to them, “Do not shed his blood, but [instead] throw him [alive] into the pit that is here in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him [to kill him]”—[he said this so] that he could rescue him from them and return him [safely] to his father.	And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father.	“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.
23	Now when Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him of his tunic, the [distinctive] multicolored tunic which he was wearing;	So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore.	So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing—
24	then they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty; there was no water in it.	And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.	and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.
25	Then they sat down to eat their meal. When they looked up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead [east of the Jordan], with their camels bearing ladanum resin [for perfume] and balm and myrrh, going on their way to carry the cargo down to Egypt.	Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt.	As 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.
26	Judah said to his brothers, “What do we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood (murder)?	Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?	Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?
27	Come, let us [instead] sell him to these Ishmaelites [and Midianites] and not lay our hands on him, because he is our brother and our flesh.” So his brothers listened to him and agreed.	Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him.	Come, 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.
28	Then as the Midianite [and Ishmaelite] traders were passing by, the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and they sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And so they took Joseph [as a captive] into Egypt.	Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.	So 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.
29	Now Reuben [unaware of what had happened] returned to the pit, and [to his great alarm found that] Joseph was not in the pit; so he tore his clothes [in deep sorrow].	When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes	When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes.
30	He rejoined his brothers and said, “The boy is not there; as for me, where shall I go [to hide from my father]?”	and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?”	He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?”
31	Then they took Joseph’s tunic, slaughtered a male goat and dipped the tunic in the blood;	Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood.	Then they got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood.
32	and they brought the multicolored tunic to their father, saying, “We have found this; please examine it and decide whether or not it is your son’s tunic.”	And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.”	They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.”
33	He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A wild animal has devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces!”	And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.”	He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”
34	So Jacob tore his clothes [in grief], put on sackcloth and mourned many days for his son.	Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days.	Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days.
35	Then all his sons and daughters attempted to console him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “I will go down to Sheol (the place of the dead) in mourning for my son.” And his father wept for him.	All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him.	All 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.
36	Meanwhile, in Egypt the Midianites sold Joseph [as a slave] to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain of the [royal] guard.	Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.	Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.
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Genesis 37 Parallel Bible Translations