² This is the account^(A) of Jacob’s family line.

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

³ Now Israel^(H) loved Joseph more than any of his other sons,^(I) because he had been born to him in his old age;^(J) and he made an ornate^[a] robe^(K) for him.^{(L) 4} When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him^(M) and could not speak a kind word to him.

⁵ Joseph had a dream,^(N) and when he told it to his brothers,^(O) they hated him all the more.^{(P) 6} He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: ⁷ We were binding sheaves^(Q) 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.”^(R)

⁸ His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?”^(S) And they hated him all the more^(T) because of his dream and what he had said.

¹⁸ But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.^(A)

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

²¹ When Reuben^(G) heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said.^{(H) 22} “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern^(I) 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.^(J)

²³ So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe^(K) he was wearing— ²⁴ and they took him and threw him into the cistern.^(L) 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^(M) coming from Gilead.^(N) Their camels were loaded with spices, balm^(O) and myrrh,^(P) and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.^(Q)

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

²⁸ So when the Midianite^(V) merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern^(W) and sold^(X) him for twenty shekels^[a] of silver^(Y) to the Ishmaelites,^(Z) who took him to Egypt.^(AA)

²⁹ When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes.^(AB)

¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?^{(A) 20} You intended to harm me,^(B) but God intended^(C) it for good^(D) to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.^{(E) 21} So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.^(F)” And he reassured them and spoke kindly^(G) to them.