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.
Genesis 37
New King James Version
Joseph Dreams of Greatness
37 Now Jacob dwelt in the land (A)where his father was a [a]stranger, in the land of Canaan. 2 This is the history of Jacob.
Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought (B)a bad report of them to his father.
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was (C)the son of his old age. Also he (D)made him a tunic of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they (E)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 (F)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, (G)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 (H)your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” 11 And (I)his brothers envied him, but his father (J)kept the matter in mind.
Joseph Sold by His Brothers
12 Then his brothers went to feed their father’s flock in (K)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 (L)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. (M)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 (N)Dothan.
18 Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, (O)they conspired against him to kill him. 19 Then they said to one another, “Look, this [b]dreamer is coming! 20 (P)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 (Q)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 (R)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.
25 (S)And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of (T)Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, (U)balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt. 26 So Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and (V)conceal his blood? 27 Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and (W)let not our hand be upon him, for he is (X)our brother and (Y)our flesh.” And his brothers listened. 28 Then (Z)Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, (AA)and sold him to the Ishmaelites for (AB)twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.
29 Then Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he (AC)tore his clothes. 30 And he returned to his brothers and said, “The lad (AD)is no more; and I, where shall I go?”
31 So they took (AE)Joseph’s tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. 32 Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, “We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son’s tunic or not?”
33 And he recognized it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A (AF)wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob (AG)tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and (AH)mourned for his son many days. 35 And all his sons and all his daughters (AI)arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, “For (AJ)I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.” Thus his father wept for him.
36 Now (AK)the [c]Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.
Footnotes
- Genesis 37:1 sojourner, temporary resident
- Genesis 37:19 Lit. master of dreams
- Genesis 37:36 MT Medanites
Genèse 37
Louis Segond
37 Jacob demeura dans le pays de Canaan, où avait séjourné son père.
2 Voici la postérité de Jacob. Joseph, âgé de dix-sept ans, faisait paître le troupeau avec ses frères; cet enfant était auprès des fils de Bilha et des fils de Zilpa, femmes de son père. Et Joseph rapportait à leur père leurs mauvais propos.
3 Israël aimait Joseph plus que tous ses autres fils, parce qu'il l'avait eu dans sa vieillesse; et il lui fit une tunique de plusieurs couleurs.
4 Ses frères virent que leur père l'aimait plus qu'eux tous, et ils le prirent en haine. Ils ne pouvaient lui parler avec amitié.
5 Joseph eut un songe, et il le raconta à ses frères, qui le haïrent encore davantage.
6 Il leur dit: Écoutez donc ce songe que j'ai eu!
7 Nous étions à lier des gerbes au milieu des champs; et voici, ma gerbe se leva et se tint debout, et vos gerbes l'entourèrent et se prosternèrent devant elle.
8 Ses frères lui dirent: Est-ce que tu régneras sur nous? est-ce que tu nous gouverneras? Et ils le haïrent encore davantage, à cause de ses songes et à cause de ses paroles.
9 Il eut encore un autre songe, et il le raconta à ses frères. Il dit: J'ai eu encore un songe! Et voici, le soleil, la lune et onze étoiles se prosternaient devant moi.
10 Il le raconta à son père et à ses frères. Son père le réprimanda, et lui dit: Que signifie ce songe que tu as eu? Faut-il que nous venions, moi, ta mère et tes frères, nous prosterner en terre devant toi?
11 Ses frères eurent de l'envie contre lui, mais son père garda le souvenir de ces choses.
12 Les frères de Joseph étant allés à Sichem, pour faire paître le troupeau de leur père,
13 Israël dit à Joseph: Tes frères ne font-ils pas paître le troupeau à Sichem? Viens, je veux t'envoyer vers eux. Et il répondit: Me voici!
14 Israël lui dit: Va, je te prie, et vois si tes frères sont en bonne santé et si le troupeau est en bon état; et tu m'en rapporteras des nouvelles. Il l'envoya ainsi de la vallée d'Hébron; et Joseph alla à Sichem.
15 Un homme le rencontra, comme il errait dans les champs. Il le questionna, en disant: Que cherches-tu?
16 Joseph répondit: Je cherche mes frères; dis-moi, je te prie, où ils font paître leur troupeau.
17 Et l'homme dit: Ils sont partis d'ici; car je les ai entendus dire: Allons à Dothan. Joseph alla après ses frères, et il les trouva à Dothan.
18 Ils le virent de loin; et, avant qu'il fût près d'eux, ils complotèrent de le faire mourir.
19 Ils se dirent l'un à l'autre: Voici le faiseur de songes qui arrive.
20 Venez maintenant, tuons-le, et jetons-le dans une des citernes; nous dirons qu'une bête féroce l'a dévoré, et nous verrons ce que deviendront ses songes.
21 Ruben entendit cela, et il le délivra de leurs mains. Il dit: Ne lui ôtons pas la vie.
22 Ruben leur dit: Ne répandez point de sang; jetez-le dans cette citerne qui est au désert, et ne mettez pas la main sur lui. Il avait dessein de le délivrer de leurs mains pour le faire retourner vers son père.
23 Lorsque Joseph fut arrivé auprès de ses frères, ils le dépouillèrent de sa tunique, de la tunique de plusieurs couleurs, qu'il avait sur lui.
24 Ils le prirent, et le jetèrent dans la citerne. Cette citerne était vide; il n'y avait point d'eau.
25 Ils s'assirent ensuite pour manger. Ayant levé les yeux, ils virent une caravane d'Ismaélites venant de Galaad; leurs chameaux étaient chargés d'aromates, de baume et de myrrhe, qu'ils transportaient en Égypte.
26 Alors Juda dit à ses frères: Que gagnerons-nous à tuer notre frère et à cacher son sang?
27 Venez, vendons-le aux Ismaélites, et ne mettons pas la main sur lui, car il est notre frère, notre chair. Et ses frères l'écoutèrent.
28 Au passage des marchands madianites, ils tirèrent et firent remonter Joseph hors de la citerne; et ils le vendirent pour vingt sicles d'argent aux Ismaélites, qui l'emmenèrent en Égypte.
29 Ruben revint à la citerne; et voici, Joseph n'était plus dans la citerne. Il déchira ses vêtements,
30 retourna vers ses frères, et dit: L'enfant n'y est plus! Et moi, où irai-je?
31 Ils prirent alors la tunique de Joseph; et, ayant tué un bouc, ils plongèrent la tunique dans le sang.
32 Ils envoyèrent à leur père la tunique de plusieurs couleurs, en lui faisant dire: Voici ce que nous avons trouvé! reconnais si c'est la tunique de ton fils, ou non.
33 Jacob la reconnut, et dit: C'est la tunique de mon fils! une bête féroce l'a dévoré! Joseph a été mis en pièces!
34 Et il déchira ses vêtements, il mit un sac sur ses reins, et il porta longtemps le deuil de son fils.
35 Tous ses fils et toutes ses filles vinrent pour le consoler; mais il ne voulut recevoir aucune consolation. Il disait: C'est en pleurant que je descendrai vers mon fils au séjour des morts! Et il pleurait son fils.
36 Les Madianites le vendirent en Égypte à Potiphar, officier de Pharaon, chef des gardes.
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.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
