Genesis 37:18–36

¹⁸They saw him in the distance, and before he had reached them, they plotted to kill him. ^j19They said to one another, “Here comes that dreamer! ^k20Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal ate him. Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!”

²¹When Reuben heard this, he tried to save him from them. ^lHe said, “Let’s not take his life.” ^m22Reuben also said to them, “Don’t shed blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him”—intending to rescue him from their hands and return him to his father.

²³When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped off his robe, the robe of many colors that he had on. ²⁴Then they took him and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

²⁵Then they sat down to eat a meal. ⁿThey looked up, and there was a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. ^oTheir camels were carrying aromatic gum, balsam, and resin, going down to Egypt. ^p

²⁶Then Judah said to his brothers, “What do we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? ²⁷Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh,” and they agreed. ²⁸When Midianite ^qtraders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for 20 pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took Joseph to Egypt. ^r

²⁹When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. ^s30He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?” ^t31So they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood. ³²They sent the robe of many colors to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it. Is it your son’s robe or not?”

³³His father recognized it. “It is my son’s robe,” he said. “A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has been torn to pieces!” ^u34Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days. ³⁵All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” And his father wept for him.

³⁶Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard.