Genesis 37 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Joseph’s Dreams

1 Now Jacob ^H3290 lived ^H3427 in the land ^H776 where ^H4033 his father ^H1 had lived ^H4033 as ^H4033 a ^H4033 stranger ^H4033, in the land ^H776 of Canaan ^H3667.

2 These ^H428 are the records of the generations ^H8435 of Jacob ^H3290.

Joseph ^H3130, when he was seventeen ^H7651 H6240 years ^H8141 of age ^H1121, was pasturing ^H7462 the flock ^H6629 with his brothers ^H251, while he was still a youth ^H5288, along with the sons ^H1121 of Bilhah ^H1090 and the sons ^H1121 of Zilpah ^H2153, his father’s ^H1 wives ^H802. And Joseph ^H3130 brought ^H935 back a bad ^H1681 H7451 report ^H1681 about them to their father ^H1. 3 Now Israel ^H3478 loved ^H157 Joseph ^H3130 more ^H4480 than ^H4480 all ^H3605 his other sons ^H1121, because ^H3588 he was the son ^H1121 of his old ^H2208 age ^H2208; and he made ^H6213 him a [fn]multicolored ^H6446 tunic ^H3801. 4 And his brothers ^H251 saw ^H7200 that their father ^H1 loved ^H157 him more ^H4480 than ^H4480 all ^H3605 his brothers ^H251; and so they hated ^H8130 him and could ^H3201 not speak ^H1696 to him [fn]on friendly ^H7965 terms ^H7965.

5 Then Joseph ^H3130 [fn]had ^H2492 a dream ^H2472, and when he told ^H5046 it to his brothers ^H251, they hated ^H8130 him even ^H5750 more ^H3254 H5750. 6 He said ^H559 to them, “Please ^H4994 listen ^H8085 to this ^H2088 dream ^H2472 which ^H834 I have [fn]had ^H2492; 7 for behold ^H2009, we were binding ^H481 sheaves ^H485 in the field ^H7704, and behold ^H2009, my sheaf ^H485 stood ^H6965 up ^H6965 and also ^H1571 remained ^H5324 standing ^H5324; and behold ^H2009, your sheaves ^H485 gathered ^H5437 around ^H5437 and bowed ^H2331 down ^H2331 to my sheaf ^H485.” 8 Then his brothers ^H251 said ^H559 to him, “Are you actually ^H4427 going to reign ^H4427 over ^H5921 us? Or ^H518 are you really ^H4910 going to rule ^H4910 over us?” So they hated ^H8130 him even ^H5750 more ^H3254 H5750 for his dreams ^H2472 and for his words ^H1697.

9 Then he [fn]had ^H2492 yet ^H5750 another ^H312 dream ^H2472, and informed ^H5608 his brothers ^H251 of it, and said ^H559, “Behold ^H2009, I have [fn]had ^H2492 yet ^H5750 another dream ^H2472; and behold ^H2009, the sun ^H8121 and the moon ^H3394, and eleven ^H259 H6240 stars ^H3556 were bowing ^H2331 down ^H2331 to me.” 10 He also told ^H5608 it to his father ^H1 as well as to his brothers ^H251; and his father ^H1 rebuked ^H1605 him and said ^H559 to him, “What ^H4100 is this ^H2088 dream ^H2472 that you have [fn]had ^H2492? Am I and your mother ^H517 and your brothers ^H251 actually ^H935 going to come ^H935 to bow ^H2331 down ^H2331 to the ground ^H776 before you?” 11 And his brothers ^H251 were ^H7065 jealous ^H7065 of him, but his father ^H1 kept ^H8104 the matter ^H1697 in mind.

12 Then his brothers ^H251 went ^H1980 to pasture ^H7462 their father’s ^H1 flock ^H6629 in Shechem ^H7927. 13 And Israel ^H3478 said ^H559 to Joseph ^H3130, “Are your brothers ^H251 not pasturing ^H7462 the flock in Shechem ^H7927? Come ^H1980, and I will send ^H7971 you to them.” And he said ^H559 to him, “[fn]I will go ^H2009.” 14 Then he said ^H559 to him, “Go ^H1980 now ^H4994 and see ^H7200 about ^H7200 the welfare ^H7965 of your brothers ^H251 and the welfare ^H7965 of the flock ^H6629, and bring ^H7725 word ^H1697 back ^H7725 to me.” So he sent ^H7971 him from the Valley ^H6010 of Hebron ^H2275, and he came ^H935 to Shechem ^H7927.

15 A man ^H376 found ^H4672 him, and behold ^H2009, he was wandering ^H8582 in the field ^H7704; and the man ^H376 asked ^H7592 him, “[fn]What ^H4100 are you looking ^H1245 for ^H1245?” 16 He said ^H559, “I am looking ^H1245 for ^H1245 my brothers ^H251; please ^H4994 tell ^H5046 me where ^H375 they are pasturing ^H7462 the flock.” 17 Then the man ^H376 said ^H559, “They have moved ^H5265 from here ^H2088; for I heard ^H8085 them say ^H559, ‘Let’s go ^H1980 to Dothan ^H1886.’” So Joseph ^H3130 went ^H1980 after his brothers ^H251 and found ^H4672 them at Dothan ^H1886.

The Plot against Joseph

18 [fn]When they saw ^H7200 him from a distance ^H7350, and before ^H2962 he came ^H7126 closer ^H7126 to them, they plotted ^H5230 against ^H854 him to put ^H4191 him to ^H4191 death ^H4191.

19 They said ^H559 to one ^H376 another ^H251, “[fn]Here ^H2009 comes ^H935 this ^H1976 dreamer ^H1167 H2472! 20 Now ^H6258 then, come ^H1980 and let’s kill ^H2026 him, and throw ^H7993 him into one ^H259 of the pits ^H953; and we will say ^H559, ‘A vicious ^H7451 animal ^H2416 devoured ^H398 him.’ Then we will see ^H7200 what ^H4100 will become ^H1961 of his dreams ^H2472!” 21 But Reuben ^H7205 heard ^H8085 this and rescued ^H5337 him out of their hands ^H3027 [fn]by saying ^H559, “Let’s not [fn]take ^H5221 his life ^H5315.” 22 Then Reuben ^H7205 said ^H559 to them, “Shed ^H8210 no ^H408 blood ^H1818. Throw ^H7993 him into this ^H2088 pit ^H953 that is in the wilderness ^H4057, but do not lay ^H7971 a hand ^H3027 on him”—so ^H4616 that ^H4616 later he might rescue ^H5337 him out of their hands ^H3027, to return ^H7725 him to his father ^H1. 23 So it came ^H1961 about ^H1961, when ^H834 Joseph ^H3130 [fn]reached ^H935 his brothers ^H251, that they stripped ^H6584 Joseph ^H3130 of his tunic ^H3801, the [fn]multicolored ^H6446 tunic ^H3801 that was on him; 24 and they took ^H3947 him and threw ^H7993 him into the pit ^H953. Now the pit ^H953 was empty ^H7386, without ^H369 any water ^H4325 in it.

25 Then they sat ^H3427 down ^H3427 to eat ^H398 [fn]a meal ^H3899. But as they raised ^H5375 their eyes ^H5869 and looked ^H7200, behold ^H2009, a caravan ^H736 of Ishmaelites ^H3459 was coming ^H935 from Gilead ^H1568, with their camels ^H1581 carrying ^H5375 labdanum ^H5219 resin ^H5219, balsam ^H6875, and [fn]myrrh ^H3910, [fn]on ^H1980 their way ^H1980 to bring ^H3381 them down ^H3381 to Egypt ^H4714. 26 And Judah ^H3063 said ^H559 to his brothers ^H251, “What ^H4100 profit ^H1215 is it for us to kill ^H2026 our brother ^H251 and cover ^H3680 up ^H3680 his blood ^H1818? 27 Come ^H1980, and let’s sell ^H4376 him to the Ishmaelites ^H3459 and not lay ^H1961 our hands ^H3027 on him, for he is our brother ^H251, our own flesh ^H1320.” And his brothers ^H251 listened ^H8085 to him. 28 Then some ^H376 Midianite ^H4084 traders ^H5503 passed ^H5674 by ^H5674, so they pulled ^H4900 him out ^H4900 and lifted ^H5927 Joseph ^H3130 out of the pit ^H953, and sold ^H4376 [fn]him to the Ishmaelites ^H3459 for [fn]twenty ^H6242 shekels of silver ^H3701. So they brought ^H935 Joseph ^H3130 into Egypt ^H4714.

29 Now Reuben ^H7205 returned ^H7725 to the pit ^H953, and behold ^H2009, Joseph ^H3130 was not in the pit ^H953; so he tore ^H7167 his garments ^H899. 30 He returned ^H7725 to his brothers ^H251 and said ^H559, “The boy ^H3206 is not there; as for me, where ^H575 am I to go ^H935?” 31 So they took ^H3947 Joseph’s ^H3130 tunic ^H3801, and slaughtered ^H7819 a male ^H8163 goat ^H8163, and dipped ^H2881 the tunic ^H3801 in the blood ^H1818; 32 and they sent ^H7971 the [fn]multicolored ^H6446 tunic ^H3801 and brought ^H935 it to their father ^H1 and said ^H559, “We found ^H4672 this ^H2088; please ^H4994 [fn]examine ^H5234 it to see whether it is your son’s ^H1121 tunic ^H3801 or ^H518 not.” 33 Then he [fn]examined ^H5234 it and said ^H559, “It is my son’s ^H1121 tunic ^H3801. A vicious ^H7451 animal ^H2416 has devoured ^H398 him; Joseph ^H3130 has surely ^H2963 been torn ^H2963 to ^H2963 pieces ^H2963!” 34 So Jacob ^H3290 tore ^H7167 his clothes ^H8071, and put ^H7760 on a sackcloth ^H8242 undergarment over his waist ^H4975, and mourned ^H56 for his son ^H1121 many ^H7227 days ^H3117. 35 Then all ^H3605 his sons ^H1121 and all ^H3605 his daughters ^H1323 got ^H6965 up ^H6965 to comfort ^H5162 him, but he refused ^H3985 to be comforted ^H5162. And he said ^H559, “Surely ^H3588 I will go ^H3381 down ^H3381 to Sheol ^H7585 in mourning ^H57 for my son ^H1121.” So his father ^H1 wept ^H1058 for him. 36 Meanwhile, the [fn]Midianites ^H4084 sold ^H4376 him in Egypt ^H4714 to Potiphar ^H6318, Pharaoh’s ^H6547 officer ^H5631, the captain ^H8269 of the bodyguard ^H2876.