Genesis 37:17-35

Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition

¹⁷ And the man said to him: They are departed from this place: for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothain. And Joseph went forward after his brethren, and found them in Dothain.

¹⁸ And when they saw him afar off, before he came nigh them, they thought to kill him.

¹⁹ And said one to another: Behold the dreamer cometh.

²⁰ Come, let us kill him, and cast him into some old pit: and we will say: Some evil beast hath devoured him: and then it shall appear what his dreams avail him:

²¹ And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and said:

²² Do not take away his life, nor shed his blood: but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless: now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands and to restore him to his father.

²³ And as soon as he came to his brethren, they forthwith stript him of his outside coat, that was of divers colours:

²⁴ And cast him into an old pit, where there was no water.

²⁵ And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ismaelites on their way coming from Galaad, with their camels, carrying spices, and balm, and myrrh to Egypt.

²⁶ And Juda said to his brethren: What will it profit us to kill our brother, and conceal his blood?

²⁷ It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our hands be not defiled: for he is our brother and our flesh. His brethren agreed to his words.

²⁸ And when the Madianite merchants passed by, they drew him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ismaelites, for twenty pieces of silver: and they led him into Egypt.

²⁹ And Ruben, returning to the pit, found not the boy:

³⁰ And rending his garments he went to his brethren, and said: The boy doth not appear and whither shall I go?

³¹ And they took his coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid, which they had killed:

³² Sending some to carry it to their father, and to say: This we have found: see whether it be thy son's coat, or not.

³³ And the father acknowledging it, said: It is my son's coat, an evil wild beast hath eaten him, a beast hath devoured Joseph.

³⁴ And tearing his garments, he put on sackcloth, mourning for his son a long time.

³⁵ And all his children being gathered together to comfort their father in his sorrow, he would not receive comfort, but said: I will go down to my son into hell, mourning. And whilst he continued weeping,