Genesis 37 Parallel Bible Translations

Genesis 37 ▼
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1 Jacob continued to live in the land they were occupying, where his father had journeyed in the territory 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 This is a record of Jacob's descendants. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was helping his brothers tend their flocks. He was a young man at that time, as were the children of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. But Joseph would come back and tell his father that his brothers were doing bad things. 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 loved Joseph more than all his brothers, since he was born to him in his old age, so he had made a richly-embroidered tunic for him. 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 When Joseph's brothers realized that their father loved him more than all of his brothers, they hated him so much that they were unable to speak politely to him. 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 Right about this time, Joseph had a dream and then told it to his brothers. As a result, his brothers hated him all the 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 |Let me tell you about this dream that I had!| he said. He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had:
7 |We were tying sheaves together out in the middle of the fields, when all of a sudden, my sheaf stood up erect! And then your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf!| 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 At this, his brothers replied, |Do you really think you're going to rule us or lord it over us?| So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his interpretations of them. 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 then he had another dream, and he proceeded to tell his brothers about that one, too. |I had another dream,| he said. |The sun, moon, and eleven of the stars were bowing down before 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 When Joseph told his father about this, his father rebuked him and asked him, |What kind of dream is that? Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come to you and bow down to the ground in front of 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 As a result, his brothers became more envious of him. But his father kept thinking about all of this. 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 Some time later, his brothers left to tend their father's flock in 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 And Israel instructed Joseph, |Your brothers are tending the flock in Shechem. Come here, because I'm going to send you to them.| |Here I am!| he responded. 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 |Go and see how things are with your brothers,| Israel ordered him. |And see how things are with the flock. Bring back a report for me.| Then he sent Joseph from the valley of Hebron. When Joseph reached 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 a man found him wandering around in a 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 |I'm searching for my brothers,| he responded. |Tell me, where are they tending the flock?| “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 |They've already left,| the man answered. |I heard them saying that they were headed to Dothan.| So Joseph followed his brothers to Dothan and found them there. 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 Now as soon as they saw him approaching from a distance, before he arrived they plotted together 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 |Look!| they said. |Here comes the Dream Master! They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other.
20 Come on! Let's kill him and toss him into one of the cisterns. Then we'll report that some wild animal devoured him and wait to see what becomes 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 When Reuben heard about it, he tried to save Joseph from their plot. |Let's not do any killing,| 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 told them. |And no blood shedding, either. Instead, let's toss him into this cistern that's way out here in the wilderness. But don't lay a hand on him.| (Reuben intended to free Joseph and return him 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 As it was, when Joseph arrived where his brothers were, they stripped off the tunic that Jacob had given him—that is, the richly-embroidered tunic that 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 They grabbed him and tossed him into the cistern, but the cistern 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 After this, while they were seated, eating their food, they looked around and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead with camels carrying spices, balm, and myrrh for sale down in 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 Then Judah suggested to his brothers, |Where's the profit in just killing our brother and shedding his blood? 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 on! Let's sell him to the Ishmaelites! That way, we won't have laid our hands on him. After all, he's our brother, our own flesh.| So Judah's brothers listened to him. 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 As the Midianite merchants were passing through, they extracted Joseph from the cistern and sold Joseph for 20 pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who then took Joseph down to 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 Later, when Reuben returned to the cistern, Joseph wasn't there! In mounting panic, he tore his clothes, 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 returned to his brothers, and shouted, |He's not there! Now what? Where am I to go?| 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 So they took Joseph's coat, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the coat 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 Then they stretched out the richly-embroidered tunic to dry, and brought it to their father. |We've found this,| they reported. |Look at it and see if this is or isn't 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 Examining it, he cried out, |It's my son's tunic! A wild animal has no doubt torn Joseph to 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, dressed himself in sackcloth, and then 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 All his sons and daughters showed up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He kept saying, |Leave me alone! I'll go down to the next world, still mourning for my son.| So Joseph's 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, down in Egypt, the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's court officials, who was also Commander-in-Chief of the imperial guards. 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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