| English Standard Version | New International Version |
| 1Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan. | 1Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. |
| 2These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. | 2This is the account of Jacob's family line. Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them. |
| 3Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. | 3Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. |
| 4But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him. | 4When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. |
| 5Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. | 5Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. |
| 6He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: | 6He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: |
| 7Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” | 7We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it." |
| 8His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. | 8His brothers said to him, "Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?" And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. |
| 9Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” | 9Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me." |
| 10But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” | 10When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?" |
| 11And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind. | 11His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind. |
| 12Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. | 12Now his brothers had gone to graze their father's flocks near Shechem, |
| 13And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” | 13and Israel said to Joseph, "As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them." "Very well," he replied. |
| 14So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. | 14So he said to him, "Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me." Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. When Joseph arrived at Shechem, |
| 15And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” | 15a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, "What are you looking for?" |
| 16“I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” | 16He replied, "I'm looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?" |
| 17And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan. | 17"They have moved on from here," the man answered. "I heard them say, 'Let's go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. |
| 18They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. | 18But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. |
| 19They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. | 19"Here comes that dreamer!" they said to each other. |
| 20Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” | 20"Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his dreams." |
| 21But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” | 21When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. "Let's not take his life," he said. |
| 22And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. | 22"Don't shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don't lay a hand on him." Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. |
| 23So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. | 23So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe--the ornate robe he was wearing-- |
| 24And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. | 24and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it. |
| 25Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. | 25As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt. |
| 26Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? | 26Judah said to his brothers, "What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? |
| 27Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. | 27Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood." His brothers agreed. |
| 28Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt. | 28So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. |
| 29When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes | 29When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. |
| 30and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” | 30He went back to his brothers and said, "The boy isn't there! Where can I turn now?" |
| 31Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. | 31Then they got Joseph's robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. |
| 32And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” | 32They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, "We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son's robe." |
| 33And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” | 33He recognized it and said, "It is my son's robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces." |
| 34Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. | 34Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. |
| 35All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. | 35All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. "No," he said, "I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave." So his father wept for him. |
| 36Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard. | 36Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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