Genesis 37:8-36

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 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.” 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 ^ayour mother and your brothers indeed come ^bto bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11And ^chis brothers were jealous of him, ^dbut his father kept the saying in mind.

Joseph Sold by His Brothers

12Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near ^eShechem. 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 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 ^fHebron, and he came to Shechem. 15And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” 16“I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” 17And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to ^gDothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at ^hDothan.

18They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them ⁱthey conspired against him to kill him. 19They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20Come now, ^jlet us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. ▼

▼Or cisterns; also verses 22, 24

Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” 21But when ^lReuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 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”— ^mthat he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. 23So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, ⁿthe robe of many colors that he wore. 24And they took him and ^othrew him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

25Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a ^pcaravan of ^qIshmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing ^rgum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it ^sif we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and ^tlet not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28Then ^uMidianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and ^vsold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels ▼

▼A  shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams

of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.

29When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he ^xtore his clothes 30and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy ^yis gone, and I, where shall I go?” 31Then they took ^zJoseph’s robe and 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.” 33And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. ^aaA fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” 34Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35All his sons and all his daughters ^abrose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, ^acI shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. 36Meanwhile ^adthe Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, ^aethe captain of the guard.