Genesis 37:18-36
New American Standard Bible
The Plot against Joseph
18 [a]When they saw him from a distance, and before he came closer to them, they (A)plotted against him to put him to death. 19 They said to one another, “[b]Here comes this dreamer! 20 Now then, come and let’s kill him, and throw him into one of the pits; and (B)we will say, ‘A vicious animal devoured him.’ Then we will see what will become of his dreams!” 21 But (C)Reuben heard this and rescued him out of their hands [c]by saying, “Let’s not [d]take his life.” 22 Then Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—so that later he might rescue him out of their hands, to return him to his father. 23 So it came about, when Joseph [e]reached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the [f]multicolored tunic that was on him; 24 and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, without any water in it.
25 Then they sat down to eat [g]a meal. But as they raised their eyes and looked, behold, a caravan of (D)Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels carrying (E)labdanum resin, (F)balsam, and [h]myrrh, [i]on their way to bring them down to Egypt. 26 And Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it for us to kill our brother and (G)cover up his blood? 27 (H)Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then some (I)Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him out and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and (J)sold [j]him to the Ishmaelites for [k]twenty shekels of silver. So (K)they brought Joseph into Egypt.
29 Now Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he (L)tore his garments. 30 He returned to his brothers and said, “(M)The boy is not there; as for me, where am I to go?” 31 So (N)they took Joseph’s tunic, and slaughtered a male goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood; 32 and they sent the [l]multicolored tunic and brought it to their father and said, “We found this; please [m]examine it to see whether it is your son’s tunic or not.” 33 Then he [n]examined it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. (O)A vicious animal has devoured him; (P)Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 34 So Jacob (Q)tore his clothes, and put on a sackcloth undergarment over his waist, and mourned for his son many days. 35 Then all his sons and all his daughters got up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, “Surely I will (R)go down to Sheol in mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile, the [o]Midianites (S)sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer, the captain of the bodyguard.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 37:18 Or And
- Genesis 37:19 Lit Behold, this master of dreams comes
- Genesis 37:21 Lit and said
- Genesis 37:21 Lit strike his soul
- Genesis 37:23 Lit came to
- Genesis 37:23 Or full-length tunic
- Genesis 37:25 Lit bread
- Genesis 37:25 Or resinous bark
- Genesis 37:25 Lit going
- Genesis 37:28 Lit Joseph
- Genesis 37:28 About 10 oz. or 280 gm
- Genesis 37:32 Or full-length tunic
- Genesis 37:32 Or recognize
- Genesis 37:33 Or recognized
- Genesis 37:36 Lit Medanites
Genesis 37:18-36
The Message
18-20 They spotted him off in the distance. By the time he got to them they had cooked up a plot to kill him. The brothers were saying, “Here comes that dreamer. Let’s kill him and throw him into one of these old cisterns; we can say that a vicious animal ate him up. We’ll see what his dreams amount to.”
21-22 Reuben heard the brothers talking and intervened to save him, “We’re not going to kill him. No murder. Go ahead and throw him in this cistern out here in the wild, but don’t hurt him.” Reuben planned to go back later and get him out and take him back to his father.
23-24 When Joseph reached his brothers, they ripped off the fancy coat he was wearing, grabbed him, and threw him into a cistern. The cistern was dry; there wasn’t any water in it.
25-27 Then they sat down to eat their supper. Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites on their way from Gilead, their camels loaded with spices, ointments, and perfumes to sell in Egypt. Judah said, “Brothers, what are we going to get out of killing our brother and concealing the evidence? Let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let’s not kill him—he is, after all, our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed.
28 By that time the Midianite traders were passing by. His brothers pulled Joseph out of the cistern and sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites who took Joseph with them down to Egypt.
29-30 Later Reuben came back and went to the cistern—no Joseph! He ripped his clothes in despair. Beside himself, he went to his brothers. “The boy’s gone! What am I going to do!”
31-32 They took Joseph’s coat, butchered a goat, and dipped the coat in the blood. They took the fancy coat back to their father and said, “We found this. Look it over—do you think this is your son’s coat?”
33 He recognized it at once. “My son’s coat—a wild animal has eaten him. Joseph torn limb from limb!”
34-35 Jacob tore his clothes in grief, dressed in rough burlap, and mourned his son a long, long time. His sons and daughters tried to comfort him but he refused their comfort. “I’ll go to the grave mourning my son.” Oh, how his father wept for him.
36 In Egypt the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, manager of his household affairs.
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Genesis 37:18-36
King James Version
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.
25 And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
26 And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.
28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
29 And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
30 And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?
31 And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;
32 And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no.
33 And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.
34 And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
35 And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.
36 And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.
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Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson