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. 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 colors. 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.
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated
him yet the more. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream
which I have dreamed. 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. 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.
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. 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. And his
brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.
And Joseph went after his brethren, and 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. And they said one to another, Behold, this
dreamer cometh. 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. And Reuben heard it, and he
delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. 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.
And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they
stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colors that was on him;
and they took him and cast him into a pit; and the pit was empty, there
was no water in it. And they sat down to eat bread; and they lifted up
their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmaelites came from
Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to
carry it down to Egypt. And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is
it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, 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 brethren were content.
Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up
Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty
pieces of silver; and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of
Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.--Genesis xxxvii, 2--12, 17-28, 36