^37:31So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a young goat,⁶⁷ and dipped the tunic in the blood. ^37:32Then they brought the special tunic to their father⁶⁸ and said, “We found this. Determine now whether it is your son’s tunic or not.”

^37:33He recognized it and exclaimed, “It is my son’s tunic! A wild animal has eaten him!⁶⁹ Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” ^37:34Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth,⁷⁰ and mourned for his son many days. ^37:35All his sons and daughters stood by⁷¹ him to console him, but he refused to be consoled. “No,” he said, “I will go to the grave mourning my son.”⁷² So Joseph’s⁷³ father wept for him.

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Footnotes

67 It was with two young goats that Jacob deceived his father (Gen 27:9); now with a young goat his sons continue the deception that dominates this family.
68 Heb “and they sent the special tunic and they brought [it] to their father.” The text as it stands is problematic. It sounds as if they sent the tunic on ahead and then came and brought it to their father. Some emend the second verb to a Qal form and read “and they came.” In this case, they sent the tunic on ahead.
69 A wild animal has eaten him. Jacob draws this conclusion on his own without his sons actually having to lie with their words (see v. 20). Dipping the tunic in the goat’s blood was the only deception needed.
70 Heb “and put sackcloth on his loins.”
71 Heb “arose, stood”; which here suggests that they stood by him in his time of grief.
72 Heb “and he said, ‘Indeed I will go down to my son mourning to Sheol.’ ” Sheol was viewed as the place where departed spirits went after death.
73 Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Then they got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.”

He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”

Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave.” So his father wept for him.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

So they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a male goat, and dipped the robe in its blood. They sent the long-sleeved robe to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it. Is it your son’s robe or not?”

His father recognized it. “It is my son’s robe,” he said. “A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has been torn to pieces!” Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days. All 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.

NLTNew Living Translation

Then the brothers killed a young goat and dipped Joseph’s robe in its blood. They sent the beautiful robe to their father with this message: “Look at what we found. Doesn’t this robe belong to your son?”

Their father recognized it immediately. “Yes,” he said, “it is my son’s robe. A wild animal must have eaten him. Joseph has clearly been torn to pieces!” Then Jacob tore his clothes and dressed himself in burlap. He mourned deeply for his son for a long time. His family all tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “I will go to my grave mourning for my son,” he would say, and then he would weep.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Then they took the robe of Joseph and slaughtered a goat, and dipped the robe in the blood. Then they sent the robe with long sleeves and they brought it to their father and said, “We found this; please examine it. Is it the robe of your son or not?” And he recognized it and said, “The robe of my son! A wild animal has devoured him! Joseph is surely torn to pieces!” And Jacob tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters tried to console him, but he refused to be consoled. And he said, “No, I shall go down to my son, to Sheol, mourning.” And his father wept for him.

KJV 1900King James Version

And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; And 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. And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces. And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. And 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.

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