¶ And Jacob dwelt in the land¹ wherein his father was a stranger², in the land of Canaan.

These are the generations³ of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives⁴: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report⁵.

Now Israel loved⁶ Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son⁷ of his old age: and he made him a coat⁸ of many colours⁹.

And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him,¹⁰ and could not speak peaceably unto him¹¹.

¶ And Joseph dreamed¹² a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they¹³ hated him yet the more.

And he said unto them, Hear¹⁴, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:

For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves¹⁵ stood round about, and made obeisance¹⁶ to my sheaf.

And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us?¹⁷ or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

And he dreamed yet another dream¹⁸, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun¹⁹ and the moon and the eleven stars²⁰ made obeisance to me.

¶ And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I²¹ and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?

And his brethren envied²² him; but his father observed²³ the saying.

¶ And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem²⁴.

And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come²⁵, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I²⁶.

And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with²⁷ thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron²⁸, and he came to Shechem.

And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was²⁹ wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What³⁰ seekest thou?

And he said, I seek³¹ my brethren: tell me,³² I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.

And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan³³. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.

And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired³⁴ against him to slay him.

And they said one to another, Behold,³⁵ this dreamer³⁶ cometh.

¶ Come now therefore, and let³⁷ us slay him, and cast him into some³⁸ pit, and we³⁹ will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

And Reuben heard⁴⁰ it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him⁴¹.

And Reuben said⁴² unto them, Shed⁴³ no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay⁴⁴ no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

¶ And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript⁴⁵ Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours⁴⁶ that was on him;

And they took him, and cast⁴⁷ him into a pit: and the pit⁴⁸ was empty, there was no water in it.

And they sat⁴⁹ down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites⁵⁰ came from Gilead⁵¹ with their camels bearing spicery⁵² and balm⁵³ and myrrh⁵⁴, going to carry it down to Egypt.

And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit⁵⁵ is it if we slay our brother, and conceal⁵⁶ his blood?

Come, and let us sell him⁵⁷ to the Ishmeelites, and let not⁵⁸ our hand be upon him; for he is our⁵⁹ brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content⁶⁰.

Then there passed by Midianites⁶¹ merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold⁶² Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent⁶³ his clothes.

¶⁶⁴And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?

¶⁶⁵And 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's⁶⁶ coat or no.

And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast⁶⁷ hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.

⁶⁸And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.

And all his sons and all his daughters⁶⁹ rose up⁷⁰ to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I⁷¹ will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.

And the Midianites⁷² sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer⁷³ of Pharaoh's, and captain⁷⁴ of the guard.