| Berean Study Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided, the land of Canaan. | 1Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. |
| 2This is the account of Jacob. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was tending the flock with his brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah, and he brought their father a bad report about them. | 2These are the family records of Jacob. At 17 years of age, Joseph tended sheep with his brothers. The young man was working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives, and he brought a bad report about them to their father. |
| 3Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors. | 3Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons because Joseph was a son born to him in his old age, and he made a robe of many colors for him. |
| 4When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. | 4When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not bring themselves to speak peaceably to him. |
| 5Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. | 5Then Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. |
| 6He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: | 6He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: |
| 7We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine.” | 7There we were, binding sheaves of grain in the field. Suddenly my sheaf stood up, and your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf."" |
| 8“Do you intend to reign over us?” his brothers asked. “Will you actually rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and his statements. | 8Are you really going to reign over us?" his brothers asked him. "Are you really going to rule us?" So they hated him even more because of his dream and what he had said. |
| 9Then Joseph had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” | 9Then he had another dream and told it to his brothers. "Look," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun, moon, and 11 stars were bowing down to me." |
| 10He told his father and brothers, but his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream that you have had? Will your mother and brothers and I actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” | 10He told his father and brothers, but his father rebuked him. "What kind of dream is this that you have had?" he said. "Are your mother and brothers and I going to come and bow down to the ground before you?" |
| 11And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said. | 11His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind. |
| 12Some time later, Joseph’s brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks near Shechem. | 12His brothers had gone to pasture their father's flocks at Shechem. |
| 13Israel said to him, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flocks at Shechem? Get ready; I am sending you to them.” “I am ready,” Joseph replied. | 13Israel said to Joseph, "Your brothers, you know, are pasturing the flocks at Shechem. Get ready. I'm sending you to them."" I'm ready," Joseph replied. |
| 14Then Israel told him, “Go now and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. And when Joseph arrived in Shechem, | 14Then Israel said to him, "Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are doing, and bring word back to me." So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem. |
| 15a man found him wandering in the field and asked, “What are you looking for?” | 15A man found him there, wandering in the field, and asked him, "What are you looking for?"" |
| 16“I am looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Can you please tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?” | 16I'm looking for my brothers," Joseph said. "Can you tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?"" |
| 17“They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph set out after his brothers and found them at Dothan. | 17They've moved on from here," the man said. "I heard them say, 'Let's go to Dothan.'" So Joseph set out after his brothers and found them at Dothan. |
| 18Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him. | 18They saw him in the distance, and before he had reached them, they plotted to kill him. |
| 19“Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another. | 19They said to one another, "Here comes that dreamer! |
| 20“Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!” | 20Come on, let's kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal ate him. Then we'll see what becomes of his dreams!" |
| 21When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said. | 21When Reuben heard this, he tried to save him from them. He said, "Let's not take his life." |
| 22“Do not shed his blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands and return him to his father. | 22Reuben also said to them, "Don't shed blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but don't lay a hand on him"--intending to rescue him from their hands and return him to his father. |
| 23So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the robe of many colors he was wearing— | 23When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped off his robe, the robe of many colors that he had on. |
| 24and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it. | 24Then they took him and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. |
| 25And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt. | 25Then they sat down to eat a meal. They looked up, and there was a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying aromatic gum, balsam, and resin, going down to Egypt. |
| 26Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? | 26Then Judah said to his brothers, "What do we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? |
| 27Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed. | 27Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh," and they agreed. |
| 28So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. | 28When Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for 20 pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took Joseph to Egypt. |
| 29When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes, | 29When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. |
| 30returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?” | 30He went back to his brothers and said, "The boy is gone! What am I going to do?" |
| 31Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood. | 31So they took Joseph's robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood. |
| 32They sent the robe of many colors to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe or not.” | 32They sent the robe of many colors to their father and said, "We found this. Examine it. Is it your son's robe or not?" |
| 33His father recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” | 33His father recognized it. "It is my son's robe," he said. "A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has been torn to pieces!" |
| 34Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days. | 34Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days. |
| 35All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him. | 35All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. "No," he said. "I will go down to Sheol to my son, mourning." And his father wept for him. |
| 36Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard. | 36Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard. |
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