Genesis 37

Joseph and His Dreams

1 Jacob stayed in Canaan, where his pops had lived.

2 This is the story of Jacob’s fam: Joseph, 17 years old, was out in the fields with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah. Joseph told his dad about the shady stuff they were doing.

3 Jacob, aka Israel, loved Joseph more than his other kids because he had him in his old age. He even hooked him up with a fresh, colorful coat.

4 When his brothers saw their dad favored him, they started hating on him and would not say a kind word to him.

5 Joseph had a dream and told his brothers about it, and that made them hate him even more.

6 He said, ‘Listen, check this out. I had a dream!’

7 ‘We were out in the fields tying up bundles of grain, and my bundle stood up while all your bundles bowed down to mine.’

8 His brothers said, ‘So you think you are going to rule over us, Get outta here!’ And they hated him even more because of his dreams and his talk.

9 Then Joseph had another dream and told his brothers. He said, ‘Listen, I had another dream. The sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing to me.’

10 He told his dad too, and Jacob said, ‘What kind of dream is that, You think me, your mom, and your brothers are going to bow down to you?’

11 His brothers were mad jealous, but his dad kept thinking about what it all meant.

Joseph Is Sold by His Brothers

12 Joseph’s brothers went to take care of their dad’s flocks near Shechem.

13 Israel said to Joseph, ‘Your brothers are out with the flocks. Go check on them for me.’

14 Joseph said, ‘Bet,’ and headed out to find them in Shechem.

15 A man found Joseph wandering in the fields and said, ‘What are you looking for?’

16 Joseph said, ‘I am looking for my brothers. You seen them with the flocks,’

17 The man said, ‘Yeah, they went to Dothan.’ So Joseph followed them there.

18 When his brothers saw him coming, they started plotting to kill him before he even got there.

19 They said, ‘Look, here comes the dreamer!’

20 ‘Let us kill him, toss him in a pit, and say a wild animal got him. Then we will see what happens to his dreams.’

21 But Reuben heard this and said, ‘Hold up, we are not going to kill him.’

22 ‘Do not spill any blood. Just throw him in this pit out here in the wilderness.’ (Reuben was planning to rescue Joseph later and take him back to their dad.)

23 When Joseph got to them, they snatched off his colorful coat.

24 Then they threw him into a pit. It was empty, no water in it.

25 As they sat down to eat, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, loaded with spices and heading to Egypt.

26 Judah said, ‘What do we gain if we kill our brother and cover it up?’

27 ‘Let us sell him to these Ishmaelites instead. He is our brother, after all.’ His brothers agreed.

28 When the traders came by, they pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites for 20 pieces of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.

Reuben Finds Out

29 When Reuben came back to the pit and saw Joseph was gone, he tore his clothes in grief.

30 He went to his brothers and said, ‘The boy’s gone! What am I am going to do now,’

31 They killed a goat, dipped Joseph’s coat in the blood,

32 and took it to their dad, saying, ‘We found this. Is it Joseph’s coat,’

33 Jacob recognized it and said, ‘This is my son’s coat! A wild animal must have eaten him. Joseph has been torn to pieces!’

34 Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned for his son for a long time.

35 All his kids tried to comfort him, but he said, ‘I will go to my grave mourning for my son.’

Joseph in Egypt

36 Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials and captain of the guard.