Joseph’s dreams: he is sold by his brethren, and carried into Egypt.
37:1. And Jacob dwelt in the land of Chanaan, wherein his father sojourned.
37:2. And these are his generations: Joseph, when he was sixteen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren, being but a boy: and he was with the sons of Bala and of Zelpha his father’s wives: and he accused his brethren to his father of a most wicked crime.
37:3. Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had him in his old age: and he made him a coat of divers colours.
37:4. And his brethren seeing that he was loved by his father, more than all his sons, hated hem, and could not speak peaceably to him.
37:5. Now it fell out also that he told his brethren a dream, that he had dreamed: which occasioned them to hate him the more.
37:6. And he said to them: Hear my dream which I dreamed.
37:7. I thought we were binding sheaves in the field: and my sheaf arose as it were, and stood, and your sheaves standing about bowed down before my sheaf.
37:8. His brethren answered: Shalt thou be our king? or shall we be subject to thy dominion? Therefore this matter of his dreams and words ministered nourishment to their envy and hatred.
37:9. He dreamed also another dream, which he told his brethren, saying: I saw in a dream, as it were the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars worshipping me.
37:10. And when he had told this to his father, and brethren, his father rebuked him and said: What meaneth this dream that thou hast dreamed? shall I and thy mother, and thy brethren worship thee upon the earth?
37:11. His brethren therefore envied him: but his father considered the thing with himself.
37:12. And when his brethren abode in Sechem, feeding their father’s flocks,
37:13. Israel said to him: Thy brethren feed the sheep in Sichem: come, I will send thee to them. And when he answered:
37:14. I am ready: he said to him: Go, and see if all things be well with thy brethren, and the cattle: and bring me word again what is doing. So being sent from the vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem:
37:15. And a man found him there wandering in the field, and asked what he sought.
37:16. But he answered: I seek my brethren, tell me where they feed the flocks.
37:17. And the man said to him: They are departed from this place: for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothain. And Joseph went forward after his brethren, and found them in Dothain.
37:18. And when they saw him afar off, before he came nigh them, they thought to kill him:
37:19. And said one to another: Behold the dreamer cometh.
37:20. Come, let us kill him, and cast him into some old pit: and we will say: Some evil beast hath devoured him: and then it shall appear what his dreams avail him:
37:21. And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and said:
37:22. Do not take away his life, nor shed his blood: but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless: now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands and to restore him to his father.
37:23. And as soon as he came to his brethren, they forthwith stript him of his outside coat, that was of divers colours:
37:24. And cast him into an old pit where there was not water.
37:25. And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ismaelites on their way coming from Galaad, with their camels, carrying spices, and balm, and myrrh to Egypt.
37:26. And Juda said to his brethren: What will it profit us to kill our brother, and conceal his blood?
37:27. It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our hands be not defiled: for he is our brother and our flesh. His brethren agreed to his words.
37:28. And when the Madianite merchants passed by, they drew him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ismaelites, for twenty pieces of silver: and they led him into Egypt.
37:29. And Ruben returning to the pit, found not the boy:
37:30. And rending his garments he went to his brethren, and said: The boy doth not appear, and whither shall I go?
37:31. And they took his coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid, which they had killed:
37:32. Sending some to carry it to their father, and to say: This we have found: see whether it be thy son’s coat, or not.
37:33. And the father acknowledging it, said: It is my son’s coat, an evil wild beast hath eaten him, a beast hath devoured Joseph.
37:34. And tearing his garments, he put on sackcloth, mourning for his son a long time.
37:35. And all his children being gathered together to comfort their father in his sorrow, he would not receive comfort, but said: I will go down to my son into hell, mourning. And whilst he continued weeping,
37:36. The Madianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Putiphar, an eunuch of Pharao, captain of the soldiers.
