Genesis 37

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 Jacob settled in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan.	1 Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan.
2 This is his family history. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was tending the flocks with his brothers; he was an assistant to the sons of his father's wives Bilhah and Zilpah, and he brought his father bad reports about them.	2 This is the history of the family of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; he was a lad with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought an ill report of them to their father.
3 Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons, for he was the child of his old age; and he had made him a long tunic.	3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a long robe with sleeves.
4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him best of all his sons, they hated him so much that they would not even greet him.	4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.
5 Once Joseph had a dream, which he told to his brothers:	5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they only hated him the more.
6 "Listen to this dream I had.	6 He said to them, "Hear this dream which I have dreamed:
7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field, when suddenly my sheaf rose to an upright position, and your sheaves formed a ring around my sheaf and bowed down to it."	7 behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf arose and stood upright; and behold, your sheaves gathered round it, and bowed down to my sheaf."
8 "Are you really going to make yourself king over us?" his brothers asked him. "Or impose your rule on us?" So they hated him all the more because of his talk about his dreams.	8 His brothers said to him, "Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to have dominion over us?" So they hated him yet more for his dreams and for his words.
9 Then he had another dream, and this one, too, he told to his brothers. "I had another dream," he said; "this time, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me."	9 Then he dreamed another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, "Behold, I have dreamed another dream; and behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me."
10 When he also told it to his father, his father reproved him. "What is the meaning of this dream of yours?" he asked. "Can it be that I and your mother and your brothers are to come and bow to the ground before you?"	10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him, and said to him, "What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?"
11 So his brothers were wrought up against him but his father pondered the matter.	11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
12 One day, when his brothers had gone to pasture their father's flocks at Shechem,	12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father's flock near Shechem.
13 Israel said to Joseph, "Your brothers, you know, are tending our flocks at Shechem. Get ready; I will send you to them." "I am ready," Joseph answered.	13 And Israel said to Joseph, "Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them." And he said to him, "Here I am."
14 "Go then," he replied; "see if all is well with your brothers and the flocks, and bring back word." So he sent him off from the valley of Hebron. When Joseph reached Shechem,	14 So he said to him, "Go now, see if it is well with your brothers, and with the flock; and bring me word again." So he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15 a man met him as he was wandering about in the fields. "What are you looking for?" the man asked him.	15 And a man found him wandering in the fields; and the man asked him, "What are you seeking?"
16 "I am looking for my brothers," he answered. "Could you please tell me where they are tending the flocks?"	16 "I am seeking my brothers," he said, "tell me, I pray you, where they are pasturing the flock."
17 The man told him, "They have moved on from here; in fact, I heard them say, 'Let us go on to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers and caught up with them in Dothan.	17 And the man said, "They have gone away, for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers, and found them at Dothan.
18 They noticed him from a distance, and before he came up to them, they plotted to kill him.	18 They saw him afar off, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him.
19 They said to one another: "Here comes that master dreamer!	19 They said to one another, "Here comes this dreamer.
20 Come on, let us kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns here; we could say that a wild beast devoured him. We shall then see what comes of his dreams."	20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild beast has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams."
21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to save him from their hands, saying: "We must not take his life.	21 But when Reuben heard it, he delivered him out of their hands, saying, "Let us not take his life."
22 Instead of shedding blood," he continued, "just throw him into that cistern there in the desert; but don't kill him outright." His purpose was to rescue him from their hands and restore him to his father.	22 And Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood; cast him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand upon him"--that he might rescue him out of their hand, to restore him to his father.
23 So when Joseph came up to them, they stripped him of the long tunic he had on;	23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the long robe with sleeves that he wore;
24 then they took him and threw him into the cistern, which was empty and dry.	24 and they took him and cast him into a pit. The pit was empty, there was no water in it.
25 They then sat down to their meal. Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, their camels laden with gum, balm and resin to be taken down to Egypt.	25 Then they sat down to eat; and looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt.
26 Judah said to his brothers: "What is to be gained by killing our brother and concealing his blood?	26 Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood?
27 Rather, let us sell him to these Ishmaelites, instead of doing away with him ourselves. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh." His brothers agreed.	27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh." And his brothers heeded him.
28 They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. Some Midianite traders passed by, and they pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and took him to Egypt.	28 Then Midianite traders passed by; and they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver; and they took Joseph to Egypt.
29 When Reuben went back to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not in it, he tore his clothes,	29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he rent his clothes
30 and returning to his brothers, he exclaimed: "The boy is gone! And I--where can I turn?"	30 and returned to his brothers, and said, "The lad is gone; and I, where shall I go?"
31 They took Joseph's tunic, and after slaughtering a goat, dipped the tunic in its blood.	31 Then they took Joseph's robe, and killed a goat, and dipped the robe in the blood;
32 Then they sent someone to bring the long tunic to their father, with the message: "We found this. See whether it is your son's tunic or not."	32 and they sent the long robe with sleeves and brought it to their father, and said, "This we have found; see now whether it is your son's robe or not."
33 He recognized it and exclaimed: "My son's tunic! A wild beast has devoured him! Joseph has been torn to pieces!"	33 And he recognized it, and said, "It is my son's robe; a wild beast has devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces."
34 Then Jacob rent his clothes, put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned his son many days.	34 Then Jacob rent his garments, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
35 Though his sons and daughters tried to console him, he refused all consolation, saying, "No, I will go down mourning to my son in the nether world." Thus did his father lament him.	35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and said, "No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning." Thus his father wept for him.
36 The Midianites, meanwhile, sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, a courtier of Pharaoh and his chief steward.	36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Poti-phar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.