Study Desk

Now the love which Israel had for Joseph was greater than his love for all his other children, because he got him when he was an old man: and he had a long coat made for him.

And because his brothers saw that Joseph was dearer to his father than all the others, they were full of hate for him, and would not say a kind word to him.

Now Joseph had a dream, and he gave his brothers an account of it, which made their hate greater than ever.

And his brothers said to him, Are you to be our king? will you have authority over us? And because of his dream and his words, their hate for him became greater than ever.

Then he had another dream, and gave his brothers an account of it, saying, I have had another dream: the sun and the moon and eleven stars gave honour to me.

And he gave word of it to his father and his brothers; but his father protesting said, What sort of a dream is this? am I and your mother and your brothers to go down on our faces to the earth before you?

And his brothers were full of envy; but his father kept his words in mind.

Now his brothers went to keep watch over their father's flock in Shechem.

Let us now put him to death and put his body into one of these holes, and we will say, An evil beast has put him to death: then we will see what becomes of his dreams.

But Reuben, hearing these words, got him out of their hands, saying, Let us not take his life.

Do not put him to a violent death, but let him be placed in one of the holes; this he said to keep him safe from their hands, with the purpose of taking him back to his father again.

So when Joseph came to his brothers, they took off his long coat which he had on;

And Judah said to his brothers, What profit is there in putting our brother to death and covering up his blood?

Let us give him to these Ishmaelites for a price, and let us not put violent hands on him, for he is our brother, our flesh. And his brothers gave ear to him.

He went back to his brothers, and said, The child is gone; what am I to do?

Then Jacob, giving signs of grief, put on haircloth, and went on weeping for his son day after day.

And all his sons and all his daughters came to give him comfort, but he would not be comforted, saying with weeping, I will go down to the underworld to my son. So great was his father's sorrow for him.

Now at that time, Judah went away from his brothers and became the friend of a man of Adullam named Hirah.

And there he saw the daughter of a certain man of Canaan named Shua, and took her as his wife.

And Judah took a wife for his first son Er, and her name was Tamar.