Chapter 37 - Chapter 37

And Jacob dwelt in the land of Chanaan,wherein his father sojourned.2 And these are his generations: Joseph, whenhe was sixteen years old, was feeding the flockwith his brethren, being but a boy: and he waswith the sons of Bala and of Zelpha his father's48 Book of Genesiswives: and he accused his brethren to his fatherof a most wicked crime.3 Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons,because he had him in his old age: and he madehim a coat of divers colours.4 And his brethren seeing that he was lovedby his father, more than all his sons, hated hem,and could not speak peaceably to him.5 Now it fell out also that he told his brethrena dream, that he had dreamed: which occasionedthem to hate him the more.6 And he said to them: Hear my dream whichI dreamed.7 I thought we were binding sheaves in thefield: and my sheaf arose as it were, and stood,and your sheaves standing about bowed downbefore my sheaf.8 His brethren answered: Shalt thou be ourking? or shall we be subject to thy dominion?Therefore this matter of his dreams and wordsministered nourishment to their envy and hatred.9 He dreamed also another dream, which hetold his brethren, saying: I saw in a dream, asit were the sun, and the moon, and eleven starsworshipping me.10 And when he had told this to his father, and brethren, his father rebuked him andsaid: What meaneth this dream that thou hastdreamed? shall I and thy mother, and thybrethren worship thee upon the earth?11 His brethren therefore envied him: but hisfather considered the thing with himself.12 And when his brethren abode in Sechem,feeding their father's flocks,13 Israel said to him: Thy brethren feed thesheep in Sichem: come, I will send thee to them.And when he answered:14 I am ready: he said to him: Go, and seeif all things be well with thy brethren, and thecattle: and bring me word again what is doing.So being sent from the vale of Hebron, he cameto Sichem:15 And a man found him there wandering inthe field, and asked what he sought.16 But he answered: I seek my brethren, tellme where they feed the flocks.17 And the man said to him: They are departed from this place: for I heard them say:Let us go to Dothain. And Joseph went forwardafter his brethren, and found them in Dothain.18 And when they saw him afar off, before hecame nigh them, they thought to kill him:19 And said one to another: Behold thedreamer cometh.20 Come, let us kill him, and cast him intosome old pit: and we will say: Some evil beasthath devoured him: and then it shall appearwhat his dreams avail him:21 And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured todeliver him out of their hands, and said:22 Do not take away his life, nor shed hisblood: but cast him into this pit, that is in thewilderness, and keep your hands harmless: nowhe said this, being desirous to deliver him out oftheir hands and to restore him to his father.23 And as soon as he came to his brethren,they forthwith stript him of his outside coat, thatwas of divers colours:24 And cast him into an old pit where therewas not water.25 And sitting down to eat bread, theysaw some Ismaelites on their way coming fromGalaad, with their camels, carrying spices, andbalm, and myrrh to Egypt.26 And Juda said to his brethren: What willit profit us to kill our brother, and conceal hisblood?27 It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites,and that our hands be not defiled: for he is ourBook of Genesis 49brother and our flesh. His brethren agreed to hiswords.28 And when the Madianite merchants passedby, they drew him out of the pit, and sold himto the Ismaelites, for twenty pieces of silver: andthey led him into Egypt.29 And Ruben returning to the pit, found notthe boy:30 And rending his garments he went to hisbrethren, and said: The boy doth not appear,and whither shall I go?31 And they took his coat, and dipped it inthe blood of a kid, which they had killed:32 Sending some to carry it to their father,and to say: This we have found: see whether itbe thy son's coat, or not.33 And the father acknowledging it, said: Itis my son's coat, an evil wild beast hath eatenhim, a beast hath devoured Joseph.34 And tearing his garments, he put on sackcloth, mourning for his son a long time.35 And all his children being gathered together to comfort their father in his sorrow, hewould not receive comfort, but said: I will godown to my son into hell, mourning. And whilsthe continued weeping,36 The Madianites sold Joseph in Egypt toPutiphar, an eunuch of Pharao, captain of thesoldiers.