Genesis 37

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

Jacob lived where his father was once a foreigner, in the land of Canaan.

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.

This is the lineage of Jacob. At seventeen, Joseph, a young shepherd, worked alongside his half-brothers, sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's other wives. Joseph, troubled by their misdeeds, reported them to his father.

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.

Israel held a special affection for Joseph, his son born in his later years, more than any of his other children. He expressed this love by gifting Joseph a vibrant, multicolored coat.

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.

When his brothers realized their father favored him above them all, jealousy consumed them, and they couldn't even talk to him without hostility.

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

Joseph had a dream, which he shared with his brothers. This only fueled their resentment towards him.

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

He pleaded with them, "Please, listen to this dream that's been haunting me."

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.

In the field, we were gathering bundles of grain. Suddenly, my bundle stood tall and yours bowed to it, as if showing respect.

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.

His brothers challenged him, "Do you really think you'll rule us or have power over us?" Their resentment towards him grew even stronger because of his dreams and the things he said.

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 had another vivid dream and excitedly shared it with his brothers, saying, "In my dream, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were all bowing down to me."

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?

He shared his dream with his father and brothers. His father, taken aback, scolded him, "What kind of dream is this? Are you suggesting that your mother, your brothers, and I should bow down to you?"

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

His brothers were consumed with jealousy, but his father quietly took note of his words.

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

His brothers journeyed to Shechem, dutifully tending to their father's sheep.

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.

Israel asked Joseph, "Aren't your brothers tending the sheep in Shechem? Join them, I'll send you." Joseph responded, "I'm ready."

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.

He gently told him, "Please, go check on your brothers and the sheep. Let me know how they are." So, he sent him off from the valley of Hebron, and he arrived in Shechem.

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

A man stumbled upon him, lost and aimlessly roaming the fields. With a concerned voice, he asked, "What are you searching for?"

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

He pleaded, "I'm searching for my brothers. Can you tell me where they're tending their sheep?"

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.

The man informed, "They've left, I overheard them planning to head to Dothan." So, Joseph, driven by brotherly concern, pursued them and finally found them in Dothan.

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

When they spotted him from a distance, long before he was close, their hearts filled with malice and they plotted to kill him.

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

They whispered among themselves, "Look, here comes that daydreamer."

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.

Let's go ahead, end his life, and throw him into a pit. We'll just say a wild animal killed him. Then we'll see what becomes of his grand dreams.

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

Reuben heard their murderous intentions. Overwhelmed with compassion, he rescued him, pleading, "Let's not take his life."

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.

Reuben pleaded with them, "Don't kill him. Just throw him into this desert pit. Don't touch him." His plan was to rescue him and bring him back to their father.

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;

When Joseph finally met his brothers, they cruelly stripped him of his vibrant, multicolored coat.

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

They seized him, throwing him into a barren pit, a hollow void devoid of even a single drop of water.

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.

As they settled down for a meal, their eyes were drawn to a sight - a group of Ishmeelites from Gilead, their camels laden with fragrant spices, balm, and myrrh, journeying towards Egypt.

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

Judah, with a heavy heart, asked his brothers, "What good will it do us to kill our own brother and hide his death?"

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.

Let's sell him to the Ishmeelites, but we won't harm him ourselves; after all, he's our brother, our own blood. His brothers agreed.

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.

When Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled a distraught Joseph from the pit and sold him to the Ishmeelites for a mere twenty silver coins, his worth reduced to a simple transaction. And so Joseph was taken away, into the vast unknown of Egypt.

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

Overwhelmed with dread, Reuben rushed back to the pit, only to find it empty. Joseph was gone. In despair, he tore his clothes.

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

He went back to his brothers, his voice trembling, "The child is gone. Where do I go now?"

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

They seized Joseph's beloved cloak, slaughtered an innocent young goat, and cruelly stained the garment with its blood.

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.

They brought the multicolored coat to their father and said, "We found this. Father, look closely: is this your son's coat or not?"

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.

Recognizing it, he cried out, "This is my son's coat! Surely, a cruel beast has taken him. My Joseph must be torn apart."

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

Jacob tore his clothes in despair, draped himself in rough sackcloth, and grieved deeply for his son for countless days.

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.

His children tried to console him, but he was inconsolable. He declared, "I will grieve for my son until I join him in death." And so, his father cried for him.

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

The Midianites heartlessly sold him as a slave to Potiphar, a high-ranking officer of Pharaoh in Egypt, who was also the chief of the guards.