New King James Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Now Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.

1Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan.

2This is the history of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father.

2These are the records of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, when 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.

3Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors.

3Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic.

4But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.

4His 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.

5Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more.

5Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.

6So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed:

6He said to them, "Please listen to this dream which I have had;

7There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.”

7for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf rose up and also stood erect; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf."

8And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

8Then 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.

9Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”

9Now he had still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said, "Lo, I have had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me."

10So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?”

10He related it to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, "What is this dream that you have had? Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground?"

11And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

11His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.

12Then his brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.

12Then his brothers went to pasture their father's flock in Shechem.

13And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” So he said to him, “Here I am.”

13Israel said to Joseph, "Are not your brothers pasturing the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them." And he said to him, "I will go."

14Then he said to him, “Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.” So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem.

14Then 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.

15Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, “What are you seeking?”

15A man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, "What are you looking for?"

16So he said, “I am seeking my brothers. Please tell me where they are feeding their flocks.”

16He said, "I am looking for my brothers; please tell me where they are pasturing the flock."

17And the man said, “They have departed from here, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan.

17Then the man said, "They have moved from here; for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

18Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him.

18When they saw him from a distance and before he came close to them, they plotted against him to put him to death.

19Then they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming!

19They said to one another, "Here comes this dreamer!

20Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!”

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

21But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.”

21But Reuben heard this and rescued him out of their hands and said, "Let us not take his life."

22And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.

22Reuben further said to them, "Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay hands on him"-- that he might rescue him out of their hands, to restore him to his father.

23So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him.

23So it came about, when Joseph reached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the varicolored tunic that was on him;

24Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it.

24and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, without any water in it.

25And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt.

25Then they sat down to eat a meal. And as they raised their eyes and looked, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing aromatic gum and balm and myrrh, on their way to bring them down to Egypt.

26So Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?

26Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it for us to kill our brother and cover up his blood?

27Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers listened.

27"Come and let us 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.

28Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled 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.

28Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. Thus they brought Joseph into Egypt.

29Then Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes.

29Now Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he tore his garments.

30And he returned to his brothers and said, “The lad is no more; and I, where shall I go?”

30He returned to his brothers and said, "The boy is not there; as for me, where am I to go?"

31So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood.

31So they took Joseph's tunic, and slaughtered a male goat and dipped the tunic in the blood;

32Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, “We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son’s tunic or not?”

32and they sent the varicolored 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."

33And he recognized it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.”

33Then he examined it and said, "It is my son's tunic. A wild beast has devoured him; Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!"

34Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days.

34So Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days.

35And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, “For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.” Thus his father wept for him.

35Then all his sons and all his daughters arose 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.

36Now the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.

36Meanwhile, the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh's officer, the captain of the bodyguard.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org