Study Desk

Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had lived as a stranger, in the land of Canaan.

And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.

These are the records of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, when he was seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers, while he was still a youth, along with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father.

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.

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his other sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a multicolored tunic.

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.

And his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms.

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.

Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.

And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.

He said to them, "Please listen to this dream which I have had;

And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:

for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf stood up and also remained standing; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf."

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.

Then his brothers said to him, "Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?" So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

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.

Then he had yet another dream, and informed his brothers of it, and said, "Behold, I have had yet another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me."

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.

He also told it to his father as well as to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, "What is this dream that you have had? Am I and your mother and your brothers actually going to come to bow down to the ground before you?"

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?

And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

Then his brothers went to pasture their father's flock in Shechem.

And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.

And Israel said to Joseph, "Are your brothers not pasturing the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them." And he said to him, "I will go."

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.

Then he said to him, "Go now and see about the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock, and bring word back to me." So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

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.

A man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, "What are you looking for?"

And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?

He said, "I am looking for my brothers; please tell me where they are pasturing the flock."

And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.

Then the man said, "They have moved from here; for I heard them say, 'Let's go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

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.

When they saw him from a distance, and before he came closer to them, they plotted against him to put him to death.

And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

They said to one another, "Here comes this dreamer!

And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.

"Now then, come and let's kill him, and throw him into one of the pits; and we will say, 'A vicious animal devoured him.' Then we will see what will become of his dreams!"

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.

But Reuben heard this and rescued him out of their hands by saying, "Let's not take his life."

And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.

Then Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him"—so that later he might rescue him out of their hands, to return him to his father.

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.

So it came about, when Joseph reached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the multicolored tunic that was on him;

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;

and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, without any water in it.

And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

Then they sat down to eat a meal. But as they raised their eyes and looked, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels carrying labdanum resin, balsam, and myrrh, on their way to bring them down to Egypt.

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.

And Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it for us to kill our brother and cover up his blood?

And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?

"Come, and let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh." And his brothers listened to him.

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.

Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him out and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. So they brought Joseph into Egypt.

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.

Now Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he tore his garments.

And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.

He returned to his brothers and said, "The boy is not there; as for me, where am I to go?"

And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?

So they took Joseph's tunic, and slaughtered a male goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood;

And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;

and they sent the multicolored tunic and brought it to their father and said, "We found this; please examine it to see whether it is your son's tunic or not."

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.

Then he examined it and said, "It is my son's tunic. A vicious animal has devoured him; Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!"

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.

So Jacob tore his clothes, and put on a sackcloth undergarment over his waist, and mourned for his son many days.

And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.

Then all his sons and all his daughters got up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, "Surely I will go down to Sheol in mourning for my son." So his father wept for him.

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.

Meanwhile, the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh's officer, the captain of the bodyguard.

And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.