1And Jacob (Israel) settled in the land of Canaan, where his father was a stranger. 2This is the account of the families of Jacob. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended the flock with his half-brothers; the sons of Bilhah, and of Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought a report to his father about the bad things that they did. 3Joseph was Israel’s favorite, because he was the son of his old age: and so, he made him a coat of many colors. 4And when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all the others, they hated him, and could not speak a kind word to him.

5And they hated him even more after Joseph told his brothers about this dream he had: 6He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7We were binding sheaves in the field, when suddenly my sheaf arose, and stood upright; and all your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8And his brothers said, “Do you think you will reign over us, or have dominion over us?” And they hated him all the more for telling them this dream. 9And then he had yet another dream, which he also related it to his brothers: “I have had another dream; and the sun, the moon and the eleven stars bowed down to me.” 10And when he told it to his father and his brothers, his father, Israel, rebuked him, and said, “What is this dream you had? Shall your mother and I and your brothers come to bow to the ground before you?” 11And his brothers resented him; but his father bore it mind.

12And his brothers went to graze their father's flock in Shechem. 13And Israel said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flock in Shechem. I want to send you to them.” And Joseph said, “I am ready to go.” 14And his father said to him, “Go and see if it is well with your brothers, and the flocks; and bring me a report.” So he sent Joseph out from the valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem. 15And a man saw him wandering in the fields; and asked him, “What are you looking for?” 16And he said, “I am looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?” 17And the man said, “They have left here; I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” And so Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan.

18And when they saw him in the distance, before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. 19And they said to one another, “Here comes that dreamer. 20Come, let us kill him, and throw him into some pit, and we will say, ‘Some wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we will see what will become of his dreams.” 21And when Reuben heard it, he tried to rescue Joseph from them by saying, “Let us not kill him.” 22Then Reuben told them, “There is no need for bloodshed. Just throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do no harm to him.” Reuben said this because he was planning to come back later and rescue Joseph from the pit, and return him to his father. 23And so, when Joseph had reached his brothers, they stripped him of his coat of many colors; 24And they threw him into a pit; and the pit was empty, with no water in it.

25And as they sat down to eat their meal, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead with their camels loaded with spices, balm, and myrrh, to take down to Egypt. 26And Judah said to his brothers, “What do we gain if we kill our brother, and conceal his blood? 27Come on, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not lay our hands upon him; because he is our flesh and blood.” And his brothers agreed. 28And so, when some Midianite merchantmen passed by, they raised Joseph up out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver; and the Ishmaelites took Joseph to Egypt.

29Then, when Reuben returned to rescue Joseph from the pit, Joseph was not there; and he tore his clothes. 30And he returned to his brothers, and said, “The lad is not there! What will I do now?!” 31And then they took Joseph's coat, and killed one of the kid goats, and dipped the coat in the blood. 32And then they took the coat of many colors, and brought it back to their father; and said, “We have found this: Is it your son's coat or not?” 33And Jacob recognized it, and said, “It is my son's coat; a wild animal has devoured him; Joseph is no doubt torn in pieces.” 34And he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned for his son many days. 35And all his sons and all his daughters tried to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and said, “I will go down into my grave mourning for my son.” And so his father wept for him. 36And the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.