Genesis 37
International Children’s Bible
Joseph the Dreamer
37 Jacob lived in the land of Canaan, where his father had lived. 2 This is the family history of Jacob.
Joseph was a young man, 17 years old. He and his brothers cared for the flocks. His brothers were the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph gave his father bad reports about his brothers. 3 Joseph was born when his father Israel, also called Jacob, was old. So Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons. He made Joseph a special robe with long sleeves. 4 Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved Joseph more than he loved them. So they hated their brother and could not speak to him politely.
5 One time Joseph had a dream. When he told his brothers about it, they hated him even more. 6 Joseph said, “Listen to the dream I had. 7 We were in the field tying bundles of wheat together. My bundle stood up, and your bundles of wheat gathered around mine. Your bundles bowed down to mine.”
8 His brothers said, “Do you really think you will be king over us? Do you truly think you will rule over us?” His brothers hated him even more now. They hated him because of his dreams and what he had said.
9 Then Joseph had another dream. He told his brothers about it also. He said, “Listen, I had another dream. I saw the sun, moon and 11 stars bowing down to me.”
10 Joseph also told his father about this dream. But his father scolded him, saying, “What kind of dream is this? Do you really believe that your mother, your brothers and I will bow down to you?” 11 Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him. But his father thought about what all these things could mean.
12 One day Joseph’s brothers went to Shechem to herd their father’s sheep. 13 Jacob said to Joseph, “Go to Shechem. Your brothers are there herding the sheep.”
Joseph answered, “I will go.”
14 His father said, “Go and see if your brothers and the sheep are all right. Then come back and tell me.” So Joseph’s father sent him from the Valley of Hebron.
When Joseph came to Shechem, 15 a man found him wandering in the field. He asked Joseph, “What are you looking for?”
16 Joseph answered, “I am looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are herding the sheep?”
17 The man said, “They have already gone. I heard them say they were going to Dothan.” So Joseph went to look for his brothers and found them in Dothan.
Joseph Sold into Slavery
18 Joseph’s brothers saw him coming from far away. Before he reached them, they made a plan to kill him. 19 They said to each other, “Here comes that dreamer. 20 Let’s kill him and throw his body into one of the wells. We can tell our father that a wild animal killed him. Then we will see what will become of his dreams.”
21 But Reuben heard their plan and saved Joseph. He said, “Let’s not kill him. 22 Don’t spill any blood. Throw him into this well here in the desert. But don’t hurt him!” Reuben planned to save Joseph later and send him back to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they pulled off his robe with long sleeves. 24 Then they threw him into the well. It was empty. There was no water in it.
25 While Joseph was in the well, the brothers sat down to eat. When they looked up, they saw a group of Ishmaelites. They were traveling from Gilead to Egypt. Their camels were carrying spices, balm and myrrh.
26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and hide his death? 27 Let’s sell him to these Ishmaelites. Then we will not be guilty of killing our own brother. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” And the other brothers agreed. 28 So when the Midianite traders came by, the brothers took Joseph out of the well. They sold him to the Ishmaelites for eight ounces of silver. And the Ishmaelites took him to Egypt.
29 Reuben was not with his brothers when they sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites. When Reuben came back to the well, Joseph was not there. Reuben tore his clothes to show he was sad. 30 Then he went back to his brothers and said, “The boy is not there! What will I do?” 31 The brothers killed a goat and dipped Joseph’s long-sleeved robe in its blood. 32 Then they brought the robe to their father. They said, “We found this robe. Look it over carefully. See if it is your son’s robe.”
33 Jacob looked it over and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some savage animal has eaten him. My son Joseph has been torn to pieces!” 34 Then Jacob tore his clothes and put on rough cloth to show that he was sad. He continued to be sad about his son for a long time. 35 All of Jacob’s sons and daughters tried to comfort him. But he could not be comforted. Jacob said, “I will be sad about my son until the day I die.” So Jacob cried for his son Joseph.
36 Meanwhile the Midianites who had bought Joseph had taken him to Egypt. There they sold him to Potiphar. Potiphar was an officer to the king of Egypt and captain of the palace guard.
创世记 37
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
约瑟和他的兄弟
37 雅各住在他父亲寄居的地方，就是迦南地。 2 雅各的历史记在下面：约瑟十七岁的时候，与他的哥哥们一同牧羊。他是个孩童，与他父亲的妾，辟拉和悉帕的众子，常在一起。约瑟把他们的恶行报告给父亲。 3 以色列爱约瑟过于爱其他的儿子，因为约瑟是他年老时生的。他给约瑟做了一件彩色长衣。 4 约瑟的哥哥们见父亲爱约瑟过于爱他们，就恨约瑟，不能与他和和气气地说话。
约瑟的梦
5 约瑟作了一个梦，把梦告诉哥哥们，他们就越发恨他。 6 约瑟对他们说：“请听我所作的这个梦： 7 我们正在田间捆麦子，我的麦捆忽然站立起来，你们的麦捆都来围着我的下拜。” 8 他的哥哥们对他说：“你真的要作我们的王吗？真的要管辖我们吗？”他们就为了约瑟的梦和他的话，越发恨他。 9 后来约瑟又作了一个梦，也把梦向哥哥们述说了。他说：“我又作了一个梦，我梦见太阳、月亮和十一颗星向我下拜。” 10 约瑟把梦向他父亲和哥哥们述说了，他父亲就斥责他，说：“你所作的这梦是甚么梦呢？我和你母亲，以及你的兄弟，真的要来俯伏在地向你下拜吗？” 11 他哥哥们都嫉妒他，他父亲却把这事记在心里。
约瑟被卖到埃及
12 约瑟的哥哥们去了示剑，牧放他们父亲的羊群。 13 以色列对约瑟说：“你的哥哥们不是在示剑牧放羊群吗？来吧，我要派你到他们那里去。”约瑟回答他：“我在这里。” 14 以色列对他说：“你去看看你的哥哥们是不是平安，羊群是不是平安，就回来告诉我。”于是打发他离开希伯仑谷，他就到示剑去了。 15 有人遇见约瑟在田间迷了路，就问他说：“你找甚么？” 16 他回答：“我正在找我的哥哥们，请你告诉我他们在哪里牧放羊群。” 17 那人说：“他们已经离开了这里；我听见他们说：‘我们要到多坍去。’”于是约瑟去追寻哥哥们，结果在多坍找到了他们。
18 他们远远就看见了他；趁他还没有走近，大家就谋害他，要把他杀死。 19 他们彼此说：“看哪，那作梦的人来了。 20 来吧，我们把他杀了，丢在一个枯井里，就说有猛兽把他吃了。我们要看看他的梦将来要怎么样。” 21 流本听见了，要救约瑟脱离他们的手。他说：“我们不可取他的性命。” 22 流本又对他们说：“不可流他的血，可以把他丢在这旷野的枯井里，不可下手害他。”流本的意思是要救他脱离他们的手，把他带回去给他的父亲。 23 约瑟到了哥哥们那里，他们就脱去他的外衣，就是他穿在身上的那件彩衣。 24 他们拿住约瑟，把他丢在枯井里。那井是空的，里面没有水。
25 他们坐下吃饭，举目观看，见有一群以实玛利人从基列来。他们的骆驼载着香料、乳香和没药，要带下埃及去。 26 犹大对他的众兄弟说：“我们杀了我们的兄弟，把他的血隐藏起来，究竟有甚么益处呢？ 27 我们不如把他卖给以实玛利人，不要下手害他，因为他是我们的兄弟，我们的骨肉。”众兄弟就听从了他。 28 有些米甸的商人经过那里，约瑟的哥哥们就把约瑟从枯井里拉上来，以二十块银子把他卖给以实玛利人。以实玛利人就把约瑟带到埃及去了。
29 流本回到枯井那里，见约瑟不在井里，就撕裂自己的衣服。 30 他回到兄弟们那里去，说：“孩子不见了，我可到哪里去呢？” 31 于是，他们宰了一只公山羊，把约瑟的长衣蘸在血里； 32 然后打发人把彩衣送到他们父亲那里，说：“这是我们找到的。请你认一认，是你儿子的长衣不是？” 33 他认出这件长衣，就说：“是我儿子的长衣，有猛兽把他吃了。约瑟真的被撕碎了。” 34 雅各就撕裂自己的衣服，腰束麻布，为他儿子哀悼了很多日子。 35 他所有的儿女都起来安慰他，他却不肯接受他们的安慰，说：“我要悲悲哀哀地下到阴间，到我的儿子那里去。”约瑟的父亲就为他哀哭。 36 米甸人后来把约瑟卖到埃及去，卖给法老的一个臣宰，军长波提乏。
Genesis 37
Revised Standard Version
Joseph Dreams of Greatness
37 Jacob dwelt in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan. 2 This is the history of the family of Jacob.
Joseph, being seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; he was a lad with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought an ill report of them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a long robe with sleeves. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.
5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they only hated him the more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream which I have dreamed: 7 behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf arose and stood upright; and behold, your sheaves gathered round it, and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to have dominion over us?” So they hated him yet more for his dreams and for his words. 9 Then he dreamed another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream; and behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him, and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
Joseph Is Sold by His Brothers
12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” 14 So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers, and with the flock; and bring me word again.” So he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 15 And a man found him wandering in the fields; and the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” 16 “I am seeking my brothers,” he said, “tell me, I pray you, where they are pasturing the flock.” 17 And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers, and found them at Dothan. 18 They saw him afar off, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild beast has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams.” 21 But when Reuben heard it, he delivered him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; cast him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand upon him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand, to restore him to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the long robe with sleeves that he wore; 24 and they took him and cast him into a pit. The pit was empty, there was no water in it.
25 Then they sat down to eat; and looking up they saw a caravan of Ish′maelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ish′maelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers heeded him. 28 Then Mid′ianite traders passed by; and they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ish′maelites for twenty shekels of silver; and they took Joseph to Egypt.
29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he rent his clothes 30 and returned to his brothers, and said, “The lad is gone; and I, where shall I go?” 31 Then they took Joseph’s robe, and killed a goat, and dipped the robe in the blood; 32 and they sent the long robe with sleeves and brought it to their father, and said, “This we have found; see now whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 33 And he recognized it, and said, “It is my son’s robe; a wild beast has devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob rent his garments, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile the Mid′ianites had sold him in Egypt to Pot′i-phar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.