Joseph Dreams of Greatness

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.

Joseph Sold by His Brothers

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.

Judah and Tamar

38 It came to pass at that time that Judah departed from his brothers, and avisited a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah. 2 And Judah bsaw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was cShua, and he married her and went in to her. 3 So she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name dEr. 4 She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name eOnan. 5 And she conceived yet again and bore a son, and called his name fShelah. He was at Chezib when she bore him.

6 Then Judah gtook a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was hTamar. 7 But iEr, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, jand the Lord killed him. 8 And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to kyour brother’s wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother.” 9 But Onan knew that the heir would not be lhis; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother. 10 And the thing which he did 1displeased the Lord; therefore He killed mhim also.

11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, n“Remain a widow in your father’s house till my son Shelah is grown.” For he said, “Lest he also die like his brothers.” And Tamar went and dwelt oin her father’s house.

12 Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died; and Judah pwas comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And it was told Tamar, saying, “Look, your father-in-law is going up qto Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and rsat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw sthat Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she had covered her face. 16 Then he turned to her by the way, and said, “Please let me come in to you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law.

So she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”

17 And he said, t“I will send a young goat from the flock.”

So she said, u“Will you give me a pledge till you send it?”

18 Then he said, “What pledge shall I give you?”

So she said, v“Your signet and cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” Then he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 So she arose and went away, and wlaid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood.

20 And Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand, but he did not find her. 21 Then he asked the men of that place, saying, “Where is the harlot who was 2openly by the roadside?”

And they said, “There was no harlot in this place.”

22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I cannot find her. Also, the men of the place said there was no harlot in this place.”

23 Then Judah said, “Let her take them for herself, lest we be shamed; for I sent this young goat and you have not found her.”

24 And it came to pass, about three months after, that Judah was told, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has xplayed the harlot; furthermore she is 3with child by harlotry.”

So Judah said, “Bring her out yand let her be burned!”

25 When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man to whom these belong, I am with child.” And she said, z“Please determine whose these are—the signet and cord, and staff.”

26 So Judah aacknowledged them and said, b“She has been more righteous than I, because cI did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he dnever knew her again.

27 Now it came to pass, at the time for giving birth, that behold, twins were in her womb. 28 And so it was, when she was giving birth, that the one put out his hand; and the midwife took a scarlet thread and bound it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 Then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she said, “How did you break through? This breach be upon you!” Therefore his name was called ePerez. 430 Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand. And his name was called fZerah.

Joseph a Slave in Egypt

39 Now Joseph had been taken adown to Egypt. And bPotiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, cbought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. 2 dThe Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord emade all he did 1to prosper in his hand. 4 So Joseph ffound favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him goverseer of his house, and all that he had he put 2under his authority. 5 So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that hthe Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field. 6 Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s 3