| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1But Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, in the land of Canaan. | 1Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, 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. | 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 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 of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 5Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, 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, "Listen to this dream I had: | 6He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: |
| 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!" | 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." |
| 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, "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 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 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." |
| 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?" | 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?" |
| 11His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what Joseph said. | 11His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind. |
| 12When his brothers had gone to graze their father's flocks near Shechem, | 12Now his brothers had gone to graze their father's flocks 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, "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 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 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, |
| 15When Joseph reached Shechem, a man found him wandering in the field, so the man asked him, "What are you looking for?" | 15a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, "What are you looking for?" |
| 16He replied, "I'm looking for my brothers. Please tell me where they are grazing their flocks." | 16He replied, "I'm looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?" |
| 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. | 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. |
| 18Now Joseph's brothers saw him from a distance, and before he reached them, they plotted 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 master of dreams! | 19"Here comes that dreamer!" they said to each other. |
| 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!" | 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." |
| 21When Reuben heard this, he rescued Joseph from their hands, saying, "Let's not take his life!" | 21When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. "Let's not take his life," he said. |
| 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.) | 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. |
| 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 ornate robe he was wearing-- |
| 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 the cistern. The cistern 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. | 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 there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? | 26Judah said to his brothers, "What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up 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'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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 29Later Reuben returned to the cistern to find that Joseph was not in it! He tore his clothes, | 29When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. |
| 30returned to his brothers, and said, "The boy isn't there! And I, where can I go?" | 30He went back to his brothers and said, "The boy isn't there! Where can I turn now?" |
| 31So they took Joseph's tunic, killed a young goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood. | 31Then they got Joseph's robe, 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." | 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." |
| 33He recognized it and exclaimed, "It is my son's tunic! A wild animal has eaten him! Joseph has surely been 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 clothes, put on sackcloth, 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 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 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. |
| 36Now in Egypt the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard. | 36Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard. |
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