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Genesis 37:3-24
New International Version
Genesis 37:3-24
New International Version
3 Now Israel(A) loved Joseph more than any of his other sons,(B) because he had been born to him in his old age;(C) and he made an ornate[a] robe(D) for him.(E) 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him(F) and could not speak a kind word to him.
5 Joseph had a dream,(G) and when he told it to his brothers,(H) they hated him all the more.(I) 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves(J) 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.”(K)
8 His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?”(L) And they hated him all the more(M) because of his dream and what he had said.
9 Then he had another dream,(N) and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars(O) were bowing down to me.”(P)
10 When he told his father as well as his brothers,(Q) his father rebuked(R) 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?”(S) 11 His brothers were jealous of him,(T) but his father kept the matter in mind.(U)
Joseph Sold by His Brothers
12 Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem,(V) 13 and Israel(W) said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem.(X) 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(Y) and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron.(Z)
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.(AA)’”
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.(AB)
19 “Here comes that dreamer!(AC)” they said to each other. 20 “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns(AD) and say that a ferocious animal(AE) devoured him.(AF) Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”(AG)
21 When Reuben(AH) heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said.(AI) 22 “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern(AJ) 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.(AK)
23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe(AL) he was wearing— 24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern.(AM) The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.
Footnotes
- Genesis 37:3 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain; also in verses 23 and 32.
Genesis 37:3-24
King James Version
Genesis 37:3-24
King James Version
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
12 And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.
13 And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.
14 And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15 And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
16 And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.
17 And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
21 And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.
22 And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.
23 And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;
24 And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
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Genesis 37:3-24
New King James Version
Genesis 37:3-24
New King James Version
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was (A)the son of his old age. Also he (B)made him a tunic of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they (C)hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.
5 Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. 6 So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: 7 (D)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.”
8 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.
9 Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, (E)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 (F)your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” 11 And (G)his brothers envied him, but his father (H)kept the matter in mind.
Joseph Sold by His Brothers
12 Then his brothers went to feed their father’s flock in (I)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 (J)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. (K)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 (L)Dothan.
18 Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, (M)they conspired against him to kill him. 19 Then they said to one another, “Look, this [a]dreamer is coming! 20 (N)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 (O)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 (P)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.
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- Genesis 37:19 Lit. master of dreams
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New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.