約瑟的夢

37 雅各住在他父親寄居的迦南, 以下是有關雅各一家的記載。

十七歲的少年約瑟跟哥哥們,就是雅各的妾辟拉和悉帕生的兒子們一同放羊。他向父親報告哥哥們做的壞事。 約瑟是以色列年老時生的,以色列特別寵愛他,為他做了一件彩衣。 約瑟的哥哥們見父親偏愛他,就懷恨在心,對他惡言相向。

約瑟做了一個夢,並告訴了哥哥們,他們更恨他了。 約瑟對哥哥們說:「你們聽聽我做的夢—— 我們在田裡捆莊稼,我捆的莊稼站起來,你們捆的莊稼都圍著我捆的莊稼下拜。」 他的哥哥們回答說:「難道你真想做我們的王統治我們嗎?」他們因約瑟的夢和他說的話而更恨他。

後來,約瑟又做了一個夢,他又去對哥哥們說:「你們聽聽我做的另一個夢,我夢見太陽、月亮和十一顆星星都向我下拜。」 10 約瑟把夢告訴了父親和哥哥們,他父親就責備他說:「你做的是什麼夢!難道你的父母弟兄都要來向你俯伏下拜嗎?」 11 約瑟的哥哥們嫉恨他,他父親卻把這些話記在心裡。

12 約瑟的哥哥們到示劍放父親的羊。 13 以色列把約瑟叫來,對他說:「你哥哥們在示劍放羊,我要派你去他們那裡。」約瑟說:「好的。」 14 以色列說:「你去看看你哥哥們以及羊群是否平安,然後回來告訴我。」於是,約瑟就從希伯崙谷出發去示劍。 15 有人見他在田野走迷了路,就問他:「你在找什麼?」 16 約瑟回答說:「我在找我哥哥們,你知道他們在哪裡放羊嗎?」 17 那人說:「他們已經走了,我聽他們說要到多坍去。」約瑟就趕往多坍,在那裡找到了他們。

18 約瑟的哥哥們遠遠看見他走來,趁他還沒有到跟前,就合謀要害死他。 19 他們彼此商量說:「看!做夢的來了。 20 來吧!我們殺了他,把他扔在井裡,就說有野獸把他吃掉了,看他的夢怎麼實現。」 21 呂便聽後想救約瑟的性命,就說:「我們不要害他性命。」 22 他又說:「不要殺人流血,把他扔在這口井裡吧,不要下手害他。」呂便想救約瑟,把他交回給父親。 23 這時候,約瑟來了,他們就脫去他身上的彩衣, 24 把他扔到井裡。當時,那口井是乾的,沒有水。

25 他們坐下來吃飯的時候,看見一隊從基列來的以實瑪利商人用駱駝馱著香料、乳香、沒藥去埃及。 26 猶大對他的眾弟兄說:「我們殺死弟弟、掩蓋罪行有什麼益處呢? 27 不如把他賣給以實瑪利人,不要下手害他,他畢竟是我們的弟弟,我們的骨肉啊!」其他弟兄都贊成他的意見。 28 於是,那些米甸商人經過的時候,他們就把約瑟從井裡拉上來,以二百二十克銀子的價錢把他賣給了以實瑪利人。這些商人把他帶到埃及去了。

29 呂便回到井邊發現約瑟不見了,就傷心地撕裂了身上的衣服, 30 回到弟兄們那裡說:「那少年不見了,我現在怎麼辦?」 31 他們宰了一隻公山羊,把血染在約瑟的彩衣上, 32 拿去給父親,說:「我們撿到這件衣服,你看看是不是你兒子的?」 33 雅各認出那件彩衣,說:「這是我兒子的衣服,一定是野獸把他吃了,約瑟一定被撕碎了!」 34 雅各撕裂自己的衣服,束上麻布,為約瑟哀傷了好幾天。 35 他的兒女都來安慰他,他卻不肯接受他們的安慰,說:「我一定會淒淒慘慘地下到陰間,去我兒子那裡。」約瑟的父親為他哀哭。

36 那些米甸人把約瑟帶到埃及後,把他賣給了法老的內臣——護衛長波提乏。

José es vendido por sus hermanos

37 Habitó Jacob en la tierra donde había morado su padre, en la tierra de Canaán. Esta es la historia de la familia de Jacob: José, siendo de edad de diecisiete años, apacentaba las ovejas con sus hermanos; y el joven estaba con los hijos de Bilha y con los hijos de Zilpa, mujeres de su padre; e informaba José a su padre la mala fama de ellos. Y amaba Israel a José más que a todos sus hijos, porque lo había tenido en su vejez; y le hizo una túnica de diversos colores. Y viendo sus hermanos que su padre lo amaba más que a todos sus hermanos, le aborrecían, y no podían hablarle pacíficamente.

Y soñó José un sueño, y lo contó a sus hermanos; y ellos llegaron a aborrecerle más todavía. Y él les dijo: Oíd ahora este sueño que he soñado: He aquí que atábamos manojos en medio del campo, y he aquí que mi manojo se levantaba y estaba derecho, y que vuestros manojos estaban alrededor y se inclinaban al mío. Le respondieron sus hermanos: ¿Reinarás tú sobre nosotros, o señorearás sobre nosotros? Y le aborrecieron aún más a causa de sus sueños y sus palabras. Soñó aun otro sueño, y lo contó a sus hermanos, diciendo: He aquí que he soñado otro sueño, y he aquí que el sol y la luna y once estrellas se inclinaban a mí. 10 Y lo contó a su padre y a sus hermanos; y su padre le reprendió, y le dijo: ¿Qué sueño es este que soñaste? ¿Acaso vendremos yo y tu madre y tus hermanos a postrarnos en tierra ante ti? 11 Y sus hermanos le tenían envidia,(A) mas su padre meditaba en esto.

12 Después fueron sus hermanos a apacentar las ovejas de su padre en Siquem. 13 Y dijo Israel a José: Tus hermanos apacientan las ovejas en Siquem: ven, y te enviaré a ellos. Y él respondió: Heme aquí. 14 E Israel le dijo: Ve ahora, mira cómo están tus hermanos y cómo están las ovejas, y tráeme la respuesta. Y lo envió del valle de Hebrón, y llegó a Siquem. 15 Y lo halló un hombre, andando él errante por el campo, y le preguntó aquel hombre, diciendo: ¿Qué buscas? 16 José respondió: Busco a mis hermanos; te ruego que me muestres dónde están apacentando. 17 Aquel hombre respondió: Ya se han ido de aquí; y yo les oí decir: Vamos a Dotán. Entonces José fue tras de sus hermanos, y los halló en Dotán. 18 Cuando ellos lo vieron de lejos, antes que llegara cerca de ellos, conspiraron contra él para matarle. 19 Y dijeron el uno al otro: He aquí viene el soñador. 20 Ahora pues, venid, y matémosle y echémosle en una cisterna, y diremos: Alguna mala bestia lo devoró; y veremos qué será de sus sueños. 21 Cuando Rubén oyó esto, lo libró de sus manos, y dijo: No lo matemos. 22 Y les dijo Rubén: No derraméis sangre; echadlo en esta cisterna que está en el desierto, y no pongáis mano en él; por librarlo así de sus manos, para hacerlo volver a su padre. 23 Sucedió, pues, que cuando llegó José a sus hermanos, ellos quitaron a José su túnica, la túnica de colores que tenía sobre sí; 24 y le tomaron y le echaron en la cisterna; pero la cisterna estaba vacía, no había en ella agua.

25 Y se sentaron a comer pan; y alzando los ojos miraron, y he aquí una compañía de ismaelitas que venía de Galaad, y sus camellos traían aromas, bálsamo y mirra, e iban a llevarlo a Egipto. 26 Entonces Judá dijo a sus hermanos: ¿Qué provecho hay en que matemos a nuestro hermano y encubramos su muerte? 27 Venid, y vendámosle a los ismaelitas, y no sea nuestra mano sobre él; porque él es nuestro hermano, nuestra propia carne. Y sus hermanos convinieron con él. 28 Y cuando pasaban los madianitas mercaderes, sacaron ellos a José de la cisterna, y le trajeron arriba, y le vendieron a los ismaelitas por veinte piezas de plata. Y llevaron a José a Egipto.(B)

29 Después Rubén volvió a la cisterna, y no halló a José adentro, y se rasgó los vestidos. 30 Y volvió a sus hermanos, y dijo: El joven no aparece; y yo, ¿a dónde iré? 31 Entonces tomaron ellos la túnica de José, y degollaron un cabrito de las cabras, y tiñeron la túnica con la sangre; 32 y enviaron la túnica de colores y la trajeron a su padre, y dijeron: Esto hemos hallado; reconoce ahora si es la túnica de tu hijo, o no. 33 Y él la reconoció, y dijo: La túnica de mi hijo es; alguna mala bestia lo devoró; José ha sido despedazado. 34 Entonces Jacob rasgó sus vestidos, y puso cilicio sobre sus lomos, y guardó luto por su hijo muchos días. 35 Y se levantaron todos sus hijos y todas sus hijas para consolarlo; mas él no quiso recibir consuelo, y dijo: Descenderé enlutado a mi hijo hasta el Seol.[a] Y lo lloró su padre. 36 Y los madianitas lo vendieron en Egipto a Potifar, oficial de Faraón, capitán de la guardia.

Footnotes

  1. Génesis 37:35 Nombre hebreo del lugar de los muertos.

Joseph’s Dreams

37 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed,(A) the land of Canaan.(B)

This is the account(C) of Jacob’s family line.

Joseph,(D) a young man of seventeen,(E) was tending the flocks(F) with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah(G) and the sons of Zilpah,(H) his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report(I) about them.

Now Israel(J) loved Joseph more than any of his other sons,(K) because he had been born to him in his old age;(L) and he made an ornate[a] robe(M) for him.(N) When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him(O) and could not speak a kind word to him.

Joseph had a dream,(P) and when he told it to his brothers,(Q) they hated him all the more.(R) He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves(S) 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.”(T)

His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?”(U) And they hated him all the more(V) because of his dream and what he had said.

Then he had another dream,(W) and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars(X) were bowing down to me.”(Y)

10 When he told his father as well as his brothers,(Z) his father rebuked(AA) 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?”(AB) 11 His brothers were jealous of him,(AC) but his father kept the matter in mind.(AD)

Joseph Sold by His Brothers

12 Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem,(AE) 13 and Israel(AF) said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem.(AG) Come, I am going to send you to them.”

“Very well,” he replied.

14 So he said to him, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers(AH) and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron.(AI)

When Joseph arrived at Shechem, 15 a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?”

16 He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?”

17 “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.(AJ)’”

So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. 18 But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.(AK)

19 “Here comes that dreamer!(AL)” they said to each other. 20 “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns(AM) and say that a ferocious animal(AN) devoured him.(AO) Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”(AP)

21 When Reuben(AQ) heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said.(AR) 22 “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern(AS) 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.(AT)

23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe(AU) he was wearing— 24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern.(AV) The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.

25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites(AW) coming from Gilead.(AX) Their camels were loaded with spices, balm(AY) and myrrh,(AZ) and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.(BA)

26 Judah(BB) said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?(BC) 27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother,(BD) our own flesh and blood.(BE)” His brothers agreed.

28 So when the Midianite(BF) merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern(BG) and sold(BH) him for twenty shekels[b] of silver(BI) to the Ishmaelites,(BJ) who took him to Egypt.(BK)

29 When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes.(BL) 30 He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?”(BM)

31 Then they got Joseph’s robe,(BN) slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood.(BO) 32 They took the ornate robe(BP) 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 robe! Some ferocious animal(BQ) has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”(BR)

34 Then Jacob tore his clothes,(BS) put on sackcloth(BT) and mourned for his son many days.(BU) 35 All his sons and daughters came to comfort him,(BV) but he refused to be comforted.(BW) “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son(BX) in the grave.(BY)” So his father wept for him.

36 Meanwhile, the Midianites[c](BZ) sold Joseph(CA) in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.(CB)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 37:3 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain; also in verses 23 and 32.
  2. Genesis 37:28 That is, about 8 ounces or about 230 grams
  3. Genesis 37:36 Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac (see also verse 28); Masoretic Text Medanites

Joseph Dreams of Greatness

37 Now Jacob dwelt in the land (A)where his father was a [a]stranger, in the land of Canaan. This is the history of Jacob.

Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought (B)a bad report of them to his father.

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was (C)the son of his old age. Also he (D)made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they (E)hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.

Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: (F)There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.”

And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, (G)the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”

10 So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and (H)your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” 11 And (I)his brothers envied him, but his father (J)kept the matter in mind.

Joseph Sold by His Brothers

12 Then his brothers went to feed their father’s flock in (K)Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.”

So he said to him, “Here I am.”

14 Then he said to him, “Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.” So he sent him out of the Valley of (L)Hebron, and he went to Shechem.

15 Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, “What are you seeking?”

16 So he said, “I am seeking my brothers. (M)Please tell me where they are feeding their flocks.

17 And the man said, “They have departed from here, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in (N)Dothan.

18 Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, (O)they conspired against him to kill him. 19 Then they said to one another, “Look, this [b]dreamer is coming! 20 (P)Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!”

21 But (Q)Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.

23 So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they (R)stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. 24 Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it.

25 (S)And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of (T)Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, (U)balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt. 26 So Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and (V)conceal his blood? 27 Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and (W)let not our hand be upon him, for he is (X)our brother and (Y)our flesh.” And his brothers listened. 28 Then (Z)Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, (AA)and sold him to the Ishmaelites for (AB)twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.

29 Then Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he (AC)tore his clothes. 30 And he returned to his brothers and said, “The lad (AD)is no more; and I, where shall I go?”

31 So they took (AE)Joseph’s tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. 32 Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, “We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son’s tunic or not?”

33 And he recognized it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A (AF)wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob (AG)tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and (AH)mourned for his son many days. 35 And all his sons and all his daughters (AI)arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, “For (AJ)I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.” Thus his father wept for him.

36 Now (AK)the [c]Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 37:1 sojourner, temporary resident
  2. Genesis 37:19 Lit. master of dreams
  3. Genesis 37:36 MT Medanites