Joseph the Dreamer

37 Jacob ·lived [settled] in the land of Canaan, where his father had ·lived [sojourned; lived as an alien]. ² ·This is the family history [^LThese are the generations; 2:4] of Jacob:

Joseph was a young man, seventeen years old. He and his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives, ·cared for [shepherded] the flocks. Joseph was a ·helper [assistant; ^Lyouth] to his brothers. Joseph gave his father bad reports about his brothers. ³ Since Joseph was born when his father Israel [^CJacob’s other name] was old, Israel loved him more than his other sons. He made Joseph a special robe with long sleeves [^Ctraditionally a multicolored robe]. ⁴ When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than he loved them, they hated their brother and could not speak to him ·politely [^Ccivilly; ^Lpeacefully].

⁵ One time Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him even more. ⁶ Joseph said, “Listen to the dream I ·had [^Ldreamed]. ⁷ We were in the field tying ·bundles [sheaves] of wheat together. My ·bundle [sheaf] rose and stood upright, and your ·bundles [sheaves] of wheat gathered around it and bowed down to it.”

⁸ His brothers said, “Do you really think you will be king over us? Do you truly think you will ·rule over [dominate] us?” His brothers hated him even more because of his dreams and what he had said.

⁹ Then Joseph had another dream, and he told his brothers about it also. He said, “Listen, I had another dream. I saw the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowing down to me.”

¹⁰ Joseph also told his father about this dream, but his father ·scolded [rebuked] him, saying, “What kind of dream is this? Do you really believe that your mother, your brothers, and I will bow down to you?” ¹¹ Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him, but his father ·thought about what all these things could mean [^Lguarded/kept the report].

¹² One day Joseph’s brothers went to Shechem [12:6] to ·graze [shepherd] their father’s flocks. ¹³ Israel said to Joseph, “·Go to Shechem where your brothers are grazing the flocks [^LAre not your brothers shepherding in Shechem? Go and I will send you to them].”

Joseph answered, “I will go.”

¹⁴ His father said, “Go and see ·if your brothers and the flocks are all right [after the welfare of your brothers and the flocks]. Then come back and ·tell me [give me a report].” So Joseph’s father sent him from the Valley of Hebron [13:18].

When Joseph came to Shechem, ¹⁵ a man found him wandering in the field and asked him, “What are you looking for?”

¹⁶ Joseph answered, “I am looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are ·grazing [shepherding] the flocks?”

¹⁷ The man said, “They have already gone. I heard them say they were going to Dothan [^Ca small town thirteen miles north of Shechem].” So Joseph went to look for his brothers and found them in Dothan.

Joseph Sold into Slavery

¹⁸ Joseph’s brothers saw him coming from far away. Before he reached them, they ·made a plan [conspired] to kill him. ¹⁹ They said to each other, “Here comes that dreamer. ²⁰ Let’s ·kill [murder] him and throw his body into one of the ·wells [pits; cisterns]. We can tell our father that a wild animal ·killed [^Late] him. Then we will see what will become of his dreams.”

²¹ But Reuben [^Cthe oldest among the brothers] heard ·their plan [^Lit] and ·saved Joseph [^Lrescued him from their hands], saying, “Let’s not ·kill him [take his life]. ²² Don’t spill any blood. Throw him into this ·well [pit; cistern] here in the ·desert [wilderness], but don’t ·hurt him [^Lsend your hand against him]!” Reuben planned to ·save Joseph later [^Lrescue him from their hand] and ·send him back [return him] to his father. ²³ So when Joseph came to his brothers, they ·pulled [stripped] off his robe with long sleeves [37:3] ²⁴ and threw him into the ·well [pit; cistern]. It was empty, and there was no water in it.

²⁵ ·While Joseph was in the well, the brothers [^LThey] sat down to eat. When they ·looked up [^Llifted their eyes], they saw a ·group [caravan] of Ishmaelites traveling from Gilead to Egypt. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh.

²⁶ Then Judah said to his brothers, “What ·will we gain [profit is there] if we ·kill [murder] our brother and ·hide his death [^Lcover up his blood]? ²⁷ Let’s sell him to these Ishmaelites. Then we will not ·be guilty of killing our own brother [^Llay our hands on him]. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” And the other brothers ·agreed [listened; obeyed]. ²⁸ So when the Midianite traders [^CMidian is part of the Ishmaelite nation; Judg. 8:22, 24] came by, ·the brothers took Joseph out [^Lthey drew him and lifted him up out] of the ·well [pit; cistern] and sold him to the Ishmaelites for ·eight ounces [^Ltwenty pieces] of silver [^Cthe price of a slave at the time]. And the Ishmaelites took him to Egypt.

²⁹ When Reuben came back to the ·well [pit; cistern] and Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes [^Cto show he was upset]. ³⁰ Then he went back to his brothers and said, “The boy is not there! ·What shall I do [^LAnd as for me, where should I go]?” ³¹ ·The brothers killed [^LThey took the robe and slaughtered] a goat and dipped Joseph’s robe in its blood. ³² Then they brought the long-sleeved robe [37:3] to their father and said, “We found this robe. Look it over carefully and see if it is your son’s robe.”

³³ ·Jacob looked it over [^LHe recognized it] and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ·savage [evil] animal has eaten him. My son Joseph has been torn to pieces!” ³⁴ Then Jacob tore his clothes and put ·on rough cloth [burlap/sackcloth on his loins; ^Cto show he was upset], and he continued ·to be sad about [mourn for] his son for ·a long time [^Lmany days]. ³⁵ All of his sons and daughters tried to ·comfort [console] him, but he could not be ·comforted [consoled]. He said, “I will ·be sad about my son until the day I die [I will go down to Sheol/the grave mourning my son].” So ·Jacob [^Lhis father] cried for his son Joseph.

³⁶ Meanwhile the Midianites who had bought Joseph had taken him to Egypt. There they sold him to Potiphar, an officer to ·the king of Egypt [^LPharaoh] and captain of the palace guard and chief ·butcher [or executioner; ^Ca high Egyptian official].