Genesis 29:1–35
29 So Jacob went on his journey aand came to the land of the people of the East. 2 And he looked, and saw a bwell in the field; and behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks. A large stone was on the well’s mouth. 3 Now all the flocks would be gathered there; and they would roll the stone from the well’s mouth, water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the well’s mouth.
4 And Jacob said to them, “My brethren, where are you from?”
And they said, “We are from cHaran.”
5 Then he said to them, “Do you know dLaban the son of Nahor?”
And they said, “We know him.”
6 So he said to them, e“Is he well?”
And they said, “He is well. And look, his daughter Rachel fis coming with the sheep.”
7 Then he said, “Look, it is still 1high day; it is not time for the cattle to be gathered together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them.”
8 But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and they have rolled the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.”
9 Now while he was still speaking with them, gRachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near and hrolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. 11 Then Jacob ikissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was jher father’s relative and that he was Rebekah’s son. kSo she ran and told her father.
13 Then it came to pass, when Laban heard the report about Jacob his sister’s son, that lhe ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. So he told Laban all these things. 14 And Laban said to him, m“Surely you are my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him for a month.
15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, nwhat should your wages be?” 16 Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah’s eyes were 2delicate, but Rachel was obeautiful of form and appearance.
18 Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, p“I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.”
19 And Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.” 20 So Jacob qserved seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may rgo in to her.” 22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and smade a feast. 23 Now it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. 24 And Laban gave his maid tZilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. 25 So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you udeceived me?”
26 And Laban said, “It must not be done so in our 3country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 vFulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.”
28 Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also. 29 And Laban gave his maid wBilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid. 30 Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also xloved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban ystill another seven years.
31 When the Lord zsaw that Leah was 4unloved, He aopened her womb; but Rachel was barren. 32 So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name 5Reuben; for she said, “The Lord has surely blooked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.” 33 Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am 6unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name 7Simeon. 34 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called 8Levi. 35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name cJudah. 9Then she stopped bearing.
Genesis 37:1–38:30
37 Now Jacob dwelt in the land awhere his father was a 1stranger, in the land of Canaan. 2 This is the history of Jacob.
Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought ba bad report of them to his father.
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was cthe son of his old age. Also he dmade him a tunic of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they ehated him and could not speak peaceably to him.
5 Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. 6 So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: 7 fThere we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.”
8 And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
9 Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, gthe sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”
10 So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and hyour brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” 11 And ihis brothers envied him, but his father jkept the matter in mind.
12 Then his brothers went to feed their father’s flock in kShechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.”
So he said to him, “Here I am.”
14 Then he said to him, “Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.” So he sent him out of the Valley of lHebron, and he went to Shechem.
15 Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, “What are you seeking?”
16 So he said, “I am seeking my brothers. mPlease tell me where they are feeding their flocks.”
17 And the man said, “They have departed from here, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in nDothan.
18 Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, othey conspired against him to kill him. 19 Then they said to one another, “Look, this 2dreamer is coming! 20 pCome therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!”
21 But qReuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.
23 So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they rstripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. 24 Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it.
25 sAnd they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of tIshmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, ubalm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt. 26 So Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and vconceal his blood? 27 Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and wlet not our hand be upon him, for he is xour brother and your flesh.” And his brothers listened. 28 Then zMidianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, aand sold him to the Ishmaelites for btwenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.
29 Then Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he ctore his clothes. 30 And he returned to his brothers and said, “The lad dis no more; and I, where shall I go?”
31 So they took eJoseph’s tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. 32 Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, “We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son’s tunic or not?”
33 And he recognized it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A fwild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob gtore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and hmourned for his son many days. 35 And all his sons and all his daughters iarose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, “For jI shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.” Thus his father wept for him.
36 Now kthe 3Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.