Genesis 37:1–20

Joseph the Dreamer

37Jacob lived in the land of Canaan, where his father had lived. ²This is the family history of Jacob:

Joseph was a young man, seventeen years old. He and his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives, cared for the flocks. Joseph gave his father bad reports about his brothers. ³Since Joseph was born when his father Israel ⁿ was old, Israel loved him more than his other sons. He made Joseph a special robe with long sleeves. ⁴When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than he loved them, they hated their brother and could not speak to him politely.

⁵One time Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him even more. ⁶Joseph said, “Listen to the dream I had. ⁷We were in the field tying bundles of wheat together. My bundle stood up, and your bundles of wheat gathered around it and bowed down to it.”

⁸His brothers said, “Do you really think you will be king over us? Do you truly think you will rule over us?” His brothers hated him even more because of his dreams and what he had said.

⁹Then Joseph had another dream, and he told his brothers about it also. He said, “Listen, I had another dream. I saw the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowing down to me.”

¹⁰Joseph also told his father about this dream, but his father scolded him, saying, “What kind of dream is this? Do you really believe that your mother, your brothers, and I will bow down to you?” ¹¹Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him, but his father thought about what all these things could mean.

¹²One day Joseph’s brothers went to Shechem to graze their father’s flocks. ¹³Israel said to Joseph, “Go to Shechem where your brothers are grazing the flocks.”

Joseph answered, “I will go.”

¹⁴His father said, “Go and see if your brothers and the flocks are all right. Then come back and tell me.” So Joseph’s father sent him from the Valley of Hebron.

When Joseph came to Shechem, ¹⁵a man found him wandering in the field and asked him, “What are you looking for?”

¹⁶Joseph answered, “I am looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing the flocks?”

¹⁷The man said, “They have already gone. I heard them say they were going to Dothan.” So Joseph went to look for his brothers and found them in Dothan.

Joseph Sold into Slavery

¹⁸Joseph’s brothers saw him coming from far away. Before he reached them, they made a plan to kill him. ¹⁹They said to each other, “Here comes that dreamer. ²⁰Let’s kill him and throw his body into one of the wells. We can tell our father that a wild animal killed him. Then we will see what will become of his dreams.”