³ Now Israel^(A) loved Joseph more than any of his other sons,^(B) because he had been born to him in his old age;^(C) and he made an ornate^[a] robe^(D) for him.^{(E) 4} When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him^(F) and could not speak a kind word to him.

⁵ Joseph had a dream,^(G) and when he told it to his brothers,^(H) they hated him all the more.^{(I) 6} He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: ⁷ We were binding sheaves^(J) of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”^(K)

⁸ His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?”^(L) And they hated him all the more^(M) because of his dream and what he had said.

¹⁷ “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.^(A)’”

So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. ¹⁸ But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.^(B)

¹⁹ “Here comes that dreamer!^(C)” they said to each other. ²⁰ “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns^(D) and say that a ferocious animal^(E) devoured him.^(F) Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”^(G)

²¹ When Reuben^(H) heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said.^{(I) 22} “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern^(J) here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.^(K)

²⁶ Judah^(A) said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?^{(B) 27} Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother,^(C) our own flesh and blood.^(D)” His brothers agreed.

²⁸ So when the Midianite^(E) merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern^(F) and sold^(G) him for twenty shekels^[a] of silver^(H) to the Ishmaelites,^(I) who took him to Egypt.^(J)

²⁹ When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes.^{(K) 30} He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?”^(L)

³¹ Then they got Joseph’s robe,^(M) slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood.^{(N) 32} They took the ornate robe^(O) back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.”

³³ He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal^(P) has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”^(Q)

³⁴ Then Jacob tore his clothes,^(R) put on sackcloth^(S) and mourned for his son many days.^(T)

Joseph Reassures His Brothers

¹⁵ When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge^(A) against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?”^{(B) 16} So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions^(C) before he died: ¹⁷ ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins^(D) and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’^(E) Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.^(F)” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.^(G)

¹⁸ His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him.^(H) “We are your slaves,”^(I) they said.

¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?^{(J) 20} You intended to harm me,^(K) but God intended^(L) it for good^(M) to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.^{(N) 21} So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.^(O)” And he reassured them and spoke kindly^(P) to them.