1And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.37.1 wherein…: Heb. of his father’s sojournings 2These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. 3Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.37.3 colours: or, pieces 4And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
5¶ And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 6And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: 7For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. 8And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
9¶ And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. 10And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? 11And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
12¶ And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem. 13And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I. 14And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.37.14 see…: Heb. see the peace of thy brethren, etc.
15¶ And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou? 16And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks. 17And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan. 18And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. 19And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.37.19 dreamer: Heb. master of dreams 20Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. 21And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. 22And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.
23¶ And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;37.23 colours: or, pieces 24And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. 25And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. 26And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? 27Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.37.27 were…: Heb. hearkened 28Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
29¶ And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. 30And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?
31And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; 32And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son’s coat or no. 33And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces. 34And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. 35And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him. 36And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, and captain of the guard.37.36 officer: Heb. eunuch: but the word doth signify not only eunuchs, but also chamberlains, courtiers, and officers37.36 captain…: or, chief marshal: Heb. chief of the slaughter men, or executioners
約瑟的夢
1雅各住在他父親寄居的迦南， 2以下是有關雅各一家的記載。
十七歲的少年約瑟跟哥哥們，就是雅各的妾辟拉和悉帕生的兒子們一同放羊。他向父親報告哥哥們做的壞事。 3約瑟是以色列年老時生的，以色列特別寵愛他，為他做了一件彩衣。 4約瑟的哥哥們見父親偏愛他，就懷恨在心，對他惡言相向。
5約瑟做了一個夢，並告訴了哥哥們，他們更恨他了。 6約瑟對哥哥們說：「你們聽聽我做的夢—— 7我們在田裡捆莊稼，我捆的莊稼站起來，你們捆的莊稼都圍著我捆的莊稼下拜。」 8他的哥哥們回答說：「難道你真想做我們的王統治我們嗎？」他們因約瑟的夢和他說的話而更恨他。
9後來，約瑟又做了一個夢，他又去對哥哥們說：「你們聽聽我做的另一個夢，我夢見太陽、月亮和十一顆星星都向我下拜。」 10約瑟把夢告訴了父親和哥哥們，他父親就責備他說：「你做的是什麼夢！難道你的父母弟兄都要來向你俯伏下拜嗎？」 11約瑟的哥哥們嫉恨他，他父親卻把這些話記在心裡。
12約瑟的哥哥們到示劍放父親的羊。 13以色列把約瑟叫來，對他說：「你哥哥們在示劍放羊，我要派你去他們那裡。」約瑟說：「好的。」 14以色列說：「你去看看你哥哥們以及羊群是否平安，然後回來告訴我。」於是，約瑟就從希伯崙谷出發去示劍。 15有人見他在田野走迷了路，就問他：「你在找什麼？」 16約瑟回答說：「我在找我哥哥們，你知道他們在哪裡放羊嗎？」 17那人說：「他們已經走了，我聽他們說要到多坍去。」約瑟就趕往多坍，在那裡找到了他們。
18約瑟的哥哥們遠遠看見他走來，趁他還沒有到跟前，就合謀要害死他。 19他們彼此商量說：「看！做夢的來了。 20來吧！我們殺了他，把他扔在井裡，就說有野獸把他吃掉了，看他的夢怎麼實現。」 21呂便聽後想救約瑟的性命，就說：「我們不要害他性命。」 22他又說：「不要殺人流血，把他扔在這口井裡吧，不要下手害他。」呂便想救約瑟，把他交回給父親。 23這時候，約瑟來了，他們就脫去他身上的彩衣， 24把他扔到井裡。當時，那口井是乾的，沒有水。
25他們坐下來吃飯的時候，看見一隊從基列來的以實瑪利商人用駱駝馱著香料、乳香、沒藥去埃及。 26猶大對他的眾弟兄說：「我們殺死弟弟、掩蓋罪行有什麼益處呢？ 27不如把他賣給以實瑪利人，不要下手害他，他畢竟是我們的弟弟，我們的骨肉啊！」其他弟兄都贊成他的意見。 28於是，那些米甸商人經過的時候，他們就把約瑟從井裡拉上來，以二百二十克銀子的價錢把他賣給了以實瑪利人。這些商人把他帶到埃及去了。
29呂便回到井邊發現約瑟不見了，就傷心地撕裂了身上的衣服， 30回到弟兄們那裡說：「那少年不見了，我現在怎麼辦？」 31他們宰了一隻公山羊，把血染在約瑟的彩衣上， 32拿去給父親，說：「我們撿到這件衣服，你看看是不是你兒子的？」 33雅各認出那件彩衣，說：「這是我兒子的衣服，一定是野獸把他吃了，約瑟一定被撕碎了！」 34雅各撕裂自己的衣服，束上麻布，為約瑟哀傷了好幾天。 35他的兒女都來安慰他，他卻不肯接受他們的安慰，說：「我一定會淒淒慘慘地下到陰間，去我兒子那裡。」約瑟的父親為他哀哭。
36那些米甸人把約瑟帶到埃及後，把他賣給了法老的內臣——護衛長波提乏。
