Genesis 37
Complete Jewish Bible
Parashah 9: Vayeshev (He continued living) 37:1–40:23
37 Ya‘akov continued living in the land where his father had lived as a foreigner, the land of Kena‘an.
2 Here is the history of Ya‘akov. When Yosef was seventeen years old he used to pasture the flock with his brothers, even though he was still a boy. Once when he was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, he brought a bad report about them to their father. 3 Now Isra’el loved Yosef the most of all his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a long-sleeved robe. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they began to hate him and reached the point where they couldn’t even talk with him in a civil manner.
5 Yosef had a dream which he told his brothers, and that made them hate him all the more. 6 He said to them, “Listen while I tell you about this dream of mine. 7 We were tying up bundles of wheat in the field when suddenly my bundle got up by itself and stood upright; then your bundles came, gathered around mine and prostrated themselves before it.” 8 His brothers retorted, “Yes, you will certainly be our king. You’ll do a great job of bossing us around!” And they hated him still more for his dreams and for what he said.
9 He had another dream which he told his brothers: “Here, I had another dream, and there were the sun, the moon and eleven stars prostrating themselves before me.” 10 He told his father too, as well as his brothers, but his father rebuked him: “What is this dream you have had? Do you really expect me, your mother and your brothers to come and prostrate ourselves before you on the ground?” 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
(ii) 12 After this, when his brothers had gone to pasture their father’s sheep in Sh’khem, 13 Isra’el asked Yosef, “Aren’t your brothers pasturing the sheep in Sh’khem? Come, I will send you to them.” He answered, “Here I am.” 14 He said to him, “Go now, see whether things are going well with your brothers and with the sheep, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him away from the Hevron Valley, and he went to Sh’khem, 15 where a man found him wandering around in the countryside. The man asked him, “What are you looking for?” 16 “I’m looking for my brothers,” he answered. “Tell me, please, where are they pasturing the sheep?” 17 The man said, “They’ve left here; because I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dotan.’” Yosef went after his brothers and found them in Dotan.
18 They spotted him in the distance, and before he had arrived where they were, they had already plotted to kill him. 19 They said to each other, “Look, this dreamer is coming! 20 So come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these water cisterns here. Then we’ll say some wild animal devoured him. We’ll see then what becomes of his dreams!” 21 But when Re’uven heard this, he saved him from being destroyed by them. He said, “We shouldn’t take his life. 22 Don’t shed blood,” Re’uven added. “Throw him into this cistern here in the wilds, but don’t lay hands on him yourselves.” He intended to rescue him from them later and restore him to his father.
(iii) 23 So it was that when Yosef arrived to be with his brothers, they stripped off his robe, the long-sleeved robe he was wearing, 24 and took him and threw him into the cistern (the cistern was empty; without any water in it). 25 Then they sat down to eat their meal; but as they looked up, they saw in front of them a caravan of Yishma‘elim coming from Gil‘ad, their camels loaded with aromatic gum, healing resin and opium, on their way down to Egypt. 26 Y’hudah said to his brothers, “What advantage is it to us if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let’s sell him to the Yishma‘elim, instead of putting him to death with our own hands. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers paid attention to him. 28 So when the Midyanim, merchants, passed by, they drew and lifted Yosef up out of the cistern and sold him for half a pound of silver shekels to the Yishma‘elim, who took Yosef on to Egypt.
29 Re’uven returned to the cistern, and, upon seeing that Yosef wasn’t in it, tore his clothes in mourning. 30 He returned to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I go now?”
31 They took Yosef’s robe, killed a male goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 Then they sent the long-sleeved robe and brought it to their father, saying, “We found this. Do you know if it’s your son’s robe or not?” 33 He recognized it and cried, “It’s my son’s robe! Some wild animal has torn Yosef in pieces and eaten him!” 34 Ya‘akov tore his clothes and, putting sackcloth around his waist, mourned his son for many days. 35 Though all his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, he refused all consolation, saying, “No, I will go down to the grave, to my son, mourning.” And his father wept for him.
36 In Egypt the Midyanim sold Yosef to Potifar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, a captain of the guard.
Génesis 37
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
José y sus hermanos
37 Jacob habitó en la tierra donde había peregrinado su padre[a], en la tierra de Canaán(A). 2 Esta es la historia de las generaciones de Jacob:
Cuando José tenía diecisiete años(B), apacentaba el rebaño con sus hermanos. El joven estaba con los hijos de Bilha y con los hijos de Zilpa(C), mujeres de su padre. Y José trajo a su padre malos informes sobre ellos(D). 3 Israel amaba a José más que a todos sus hijos, porque era para él el hijo de su vejez(E); y le hizo una túnica de muchos colores[b](F). 4 Y sus hermanos vieron que su padre amaba más a José que a todos ellos; por eso lo odiaban y no podían hablarle amistosamente[c](G).
Sueños de José
5 José tuvo[d] un sueño(H) y cuando se lo contó a sus hermanos, ellos lo odiaron aún más. 6 Y él les dijo: «Les ruego que escuchen este sueño que he tenido[e]. 7 Estábamos atando gavillas en medio del campo, y sucedió que mi gavilla se levantó y se puso derecha, y entonces las gavillas de ustedes se ponían alrededor y se inclinaban hacia mi gavilla(I)».
8 Y sus hermanos le dijeron: «¿Acaso reinarás sobre nosotros? ¿O acaso te enseñorearás sobre nosotros(J)?». Y lo odiaron aún más por causa de sus sueños y de sus palabras.
9 José tuvo[f] también otro sueño, y se lo contó a sus hermanos, diciendo[g]: «He tenido[h] otro sueño; y el sol, la luna y once estrellas se inclinaban ante mí». 10 Cuando se lo contó a su padre y a sus hermanos, su padre lo reprendió, y le dijo: «¿Qué es este sueño que has tenido[i]? ¿Acaso yo, tu madre y tus hermanos vendremos a inclinarnos hasta el suelo ante ti(K)?».
11 Sus hermanos le tenían envidia(L), pero su padre reflexionaba sobre[j] lo que se había dicho(M).
José va en busca de sus hermanos
12 Después sus hermanos fueron a apacentar el rebaño de su padre en Siquem. 13 Israel dijo a José: «¿No están tus hermanos apacentando el rebaño en Siquem(N)? Ven, y te voy a enviar a ellos». «Iré[k]», le dijo José.
14 Entonces Israel le dijo: «Ve ahora y mira cómo están tus hermanos y cómo está el rebaño, y tráeme noticias de ellos». Lo envió, pues, desde el valle de Hebrón(O), y José fue a Siquem. 15 Estando él dando vueltas por el campo, un hombre lo encontró, y el hombre le preguntó: «¿Qué buscas?». 16 «Busco a mis hermanos», respondió José; «le ruego que me informe dónde están apacentando el rebaño». 17 «Se han ido de aquí», le contestó el hombre, «pues yo les oí decir: “Vamos a Dotán(P)”». Entonces José fue tras sus hermanos y los encontró en Dotán.
Complot de los hermanos de José
18 Cuando ellos lo vieron de lejos, y antes que se les acercara, tramaron contra él para matarlo(Q). 19 Y se dijeron unos a otros: «Aquí viene el soñador[l]. 20 Ahora pues, vengan, matémoslo y arrojémoslo a uno de los pozos; y diremos: “Una fiera lo devoró(R)”. Entonces veremos en qué quedan sus sueños».
21 Pero Rubén oyó esto y lo libró de sus manos, y dijo: «No le quitemos la vida[m](S)». 22 Rubén les dijo además: «No derramen sangre. Échenlo en este pozo del[n] desierto, pero no le pongan la mano encima». Esto dijo para poder librarlo de las manos de ellos y devolverlo a su padre.
23 Y cuando José llegó a sus hermanos, lo despojaron de su túnica[o], la túnica de muchos colores que llevaba puesta. 24 Lo tomaron y lo echaron en el pozo. El pozo estaba vacío, no había agua en él.
José vendido como esclavo
25 Entonces se sentaron a comer[p], y cuando levantaron los ojos, vieron una caravana de ismaelitas(T) que venía de Galaad con sus camellos cargados de resina aromática(U), bálsamo(V) y mirra, e iban bajando hacia Egipto. 26 Y Judá dijo a sus hermanos: «¿Qué ganaremos con matar a nuestro hermano y ocultar su sangre(W)? 27 Vengan, vendámoslo a los ismaelitas y no pongamos las[q] manos sobre él(X), pues es nuestro hermano, carne nuestra». Y sus hermanos le hicieron caso[r].
28 Pasaron entonces los mercaderes madianitas(Y), y ellos sacaron a José, subiéndolo del pozo, y vendieron a José a los ismaelitas por veinte monedas de plata(Z). Y estos se llevaron a José a Egipto(AA).
Jacob llora a José
29 Cuando Rubén volvió al pozo, José ya no estaba en el pozo. Entonces rasgó sus vestidos(AB); 30 y volvió a sus hermanos y les dijo: «El muchacho no está allí(AC); y yo, ¿adónde iré[s]?».
31 Así que tomaron la túnica de José(AD), mataron un macho cabrío, y empaparon la túnica en la sangre. 32 Entonces enviaron la túnica de muchos colores y la llevaron a su padre, y dijeron: «Encontramos esto. Te rogamos que lo examines[t] para ver si es la túnica de tu hijo o no». 33 Él la examinó[u], y dijo: «Es la túnica de mi hijo. Una fiera lo ha devorado(AE). Sin duda José ha sido despedazado(AF)». 34 Jacob rasgó sus vestidos(AG), puso cilicio sobre sus lomos y estuvo de duelo por su hijo muchos días.
35 Todos sus hijos y todas sus hijas vinieron[v] para consolarlo, pero él rehusó ser consolado, y dijo: «Ciertamente enlutado bajaré al Seol[w] por causa de mi hijo(AH)». Y su padre lloró por él. 36 Mientras tanto, los madianitas[x] lo vendieron en Egipto a Potifar(AI), oficial de Faraón, capitán de la guardia.
Footnotes
- 37:1 Lit. de las peregrinaciones de su padre.
- 37:3 O túnica larga.
- 37:4 Lit. en paz.
- 37:5 Lit. soñó.
- 37:6 Lit. soñado.
- 37:9 Lit. Soñó.
- 37:9 Lit. y dijo.
- 37:9 Lit. soñado.
- 37:10 Lit. soñado.
- 37:11 Lit. guardaba.
- 37:13 Lit. Heme aquí.
- 37:19 Lit. Vean, este experto en sueños viene.
- 37:21 Lit. No hiramos su alma.
- 37:22 Lit. que está en el.
- 37:23 O túnica larga.
- 37:25 Lit. a comer pan.
- 37:27 Lit. y no sean nuestras.
- 37:27 Lit. escucharon.
- 37:30 Lit. iré yo.
- 37:32 O reconozcas.
- 37:33 Lit. reconoció.
- 37:35 Lit. se levantaron.
- 37:35 I.e. región de los muertos.
- 37:36 Lit. Medanitas.
Genesis 37
King James Version
37 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
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.
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.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Nueva Biblia de las Américas™ NBLA™ Copyright © 2005 por The Lockman Foundation
