| NET Bible | English Standard Version |
| 1But Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, in the land of Canaan. | 1Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan. |
| 2This is the account of Jacob. Joseph, his seventeen-year-old son, was taking care of the flocks with his brothers. Now he was a youngster working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father. | 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. |
| 3Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons because he was a son born to him late in life, and he made a special tunic for him. | 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. |
| 4When Joseph's brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated Joseph and were not able to speak to him kindly. | 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. |
| 5Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him even more. | 5Now Joseph had a dream, and 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, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: |
| 7There we were, binding sheaves of grain in the middle of the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose up and stood upright and your sheaves surrounded my sheaf and bowed down to it!" | 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.” |
| 8Then his brothers asked him, "Do you really think you will rule over us or have dominion over us?" They hated him even more because of his dream and because of what he said. | 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. |
| 9Then he had another dream, and told it to his brothers. "Look," he said. "I had another dream. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me." | 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.” |
| 10When he told his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him, saying, "What is this dream that you had? Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come and bow down to you?" | 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?” |
| 11His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what Joseph said. | 11And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind. |
| 12When his brothers had gone to graze their father's flocks near Shechem, | 12Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. |
| 13Israel said to Joseph, "Your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I will send you to them." "I'm ready," Joseph replied. | 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.” |
| 14So Jacob said to him, "Go now and check on the welfare of your brothers and of the flocks, and bring me word." So Jacob sent him from the valley of Hebron. | 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. |
| 15When Joseph reached Shechem, a man found him wandering in the field, so the man asked him, "What are you looking for?" | 15And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” |
| 16He replied, "I'm looking for my brothers. Please tell me where they are grazing their flocks." | 16“I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” |
| 17The man said, "They left this area, for I heard them say, 'Let's go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan. | 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. |
| 18Now Joseph's brothers saw him from a distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. | 18They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. |
| 19They said to one another, "Here comes this master of dreams! | 19They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. |
| 20Come now, let's kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and then say that a wild animal ate him. Then we'll see how his dreams turn out!" | 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.” |
| 21When Reuben heard this, he rescued Joseph from their hands, saying, "Let's not take his life!" | 21But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” |
| 22Reuben continued, "Don't shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don't lay a hand on him." (Reuben said this so he could rescue Joseph from them and take him back to his father.) | 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. |
| 23When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him of his tunic, the special tunic that he wore. | 23So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. |
| 24Then they took him and threw him into the cistern. (Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it.) | 24And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. |
| 25When they sat down to eat their food, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh down to Egypt. | 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. |
| 26Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? | 26Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? |
| 27Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let's not lay a hand on him, for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh." His brothers agreed. | 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. |
| 28So when the Midianite merchants passed by, Joseph's brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites then took Joseph to Egypt. | 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. |
| 29Later Reuben returned to the cistern to find that Joseph was not in it! He tore his clothes, | 29When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes |
| 30returned to his brothers, and said, "The boy isn't there! And I, where can I go?" | 30and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” |
| 31So they took Joseph's tunic, killed a young goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood. | 31Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. |
| 32Then they brought the special tunic to their father and said, "We found this. Determine now whether it is your son's tunic or not." | 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.” |
| 33He recognized it and exclaimed, "It is my son's tunic! A wild animal has eaten him! Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!" | 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.” |
| 34Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned for his son many days. | 34Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. |
| 35All his sons and daughters stood by him to console him, but he refused to be consoled. "No," he said, "I will go to the grave mourning my son." So Joseph's father wept for him. | 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. |
| 36Now in Egypt the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard. | 36Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard. |
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