Joseph Sold into Slavery

12 His brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks at Shechem. 13 Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers, you know, are pasturing the flocks at Shechem. Get ready. I’m sending you to them.”

“I’m ready,” Joseph replied.

14 Then Israel said to him, “Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are doing, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the Hebron(A) Valley, and he went to Shechem.

15 A man found him there, wandering in the field, and asked him, “What are you looking for?”

16 “I’m looking for my brothers,” Joseph said. “Can you tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?”

17 “They’ve moved on from here,” the man said. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’”(B) So Joseph set out after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

18 They saw him in the distance, and before he had reached them, they plotted to kill him.(C) 19 They said to one another, “Oh, look, here comes that dream expert![a] 20 So now, come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of the pits.[b] We can say that a vicious animal ate him. Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!”

21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to save him from them.[c] He said, “Let’s not take his life.”(D) 22 Reuben also said to them, “Don’t shed blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him”—intending to rescue him from them and return him to his father.

23 When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped off Joseph’s robe, the long-sleeved robe that he had on. 24 Then they took him and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty, without water.(E)

25 They sat down to eat a meal,(F) and when they looked up, there was a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead.(G) Their camels were carrying aromatic gum, balsam, and resin, going down to Egypt.(H)

26 Judah said to his brothers, “What do we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come on, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh,” and his brothers agreed. 28 When Midianite(I) traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took Joseph to Egypt.(J)

29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes.(K) 30 He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?” [d] 31 So they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a male goat, and dipped the robe in its blood. 32 They sent the long-sleeved robe to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it. Is it your son’s robe or not?”

33 His father recognized it. “It is my son’s robe,” he said. “A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has been torn to pieces!” (L) 34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” And his father wept for him.

36 Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain of the guards.

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Footnotes

  1. 37:19 Lit comes the lord of the dreams
  2. 37:20 Or cisterns
  3. 37:21 Lit their hands
  4. 37:30 Lit And I, where am I going?

Joseph Sold by His Brothers

12 Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem,(A) 13 and Israel(B) said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem.(C) 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(D) and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron.(E)

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.(F)’”

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.(G)

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

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

23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe(Q) he was wearing— 24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern.(R) 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(S) coming from Gilead.(T) Their camels were loaded with spices, balm(U) and myrrh,(V) and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.(W)

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

28 So when the Midianite(AB) merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern(AC) and sold(AD) him for twenty shekels[a] of silver(AE) to the Ishmaelites,(AF) who took him to Egypt.(AG)

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

31 Then they got Joseph’s robe,(AJ) slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood.(AK) 32 They took the ornate robe(AL) 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(AM) has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”(AN)

34 Then Jacob tore his clothes,(AO) put on sackcloth(AP) and mourned for his son many days.(AQ) 35 All his sons and daughters came to comfort him,(AR) but he refused to be comforted.(AS) “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son(AT) in the grave.(AU)” So his father wept for him.

36 Meanwhile, the Midianites[b](AV) sold Joseph(AW) in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.(AX)

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 37:28 That is, about 8 ounces or about 230 grams
  2. Genesis 37:36 Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac (see also verse 28); Masoretic Text Medanites