Genesis:37-38

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* And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger , in the land of Canaan . * These are the generations 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 wives : and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report . * Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children , because he was the son of his old age : and he made him a coat of many colours . * And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren , they hated him , and could not speak peaceably unto him . * And Joseph dreamed a dream , and he told it his brethren : and they hated him yet the more . * And he said unto them , Hear , 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 sheaves stood round about , and made obeisance to my sheaf . * And his brethren said to him , Shalt thou indeed reign over us ? 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 dream , and told it his brethren , and said , Behold , I have dreamed a dream more ; and , behold , the sun and the moon and the eleven stars 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 I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth ? * And his brethren envied him ; but his father observed the saying . * And his brethren went to feed their father 's flock in Shechem . * And Israel said unto Joseph , Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem ? come , and I will send thee unto them . And he said to him , Here am I . * And he said to him , Go , I pray thee , see whether it be well with thy brethren , and well with the flocks ; and bring me word again . So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron , and he came to Shechem . * And a certain man found him , and , behold , he was wandering in the field : and the man asked him , saying , What seekest thou ? * And he said , I seek my brethren : tell me , 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 Dothan . 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 conspired against him to slay him . * And they said one to another , Behold , this dreamer cometh . * Come now therefore , and let us slay him , and cast him into some pit , and we will say , Some evil beast hath devoured him : and we shall see what will become of his dreams . * And Reuben heard it , and he delivered him out of their hands ; and said , Let us not kill him . * And Reuben said unto them , Shed no blood , but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness , and lay 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 stript Joseph out of his coat , his coat of many colours that was on him ; * And they took him , and cast him into a pit : and the pit was empty , there was no water in it . * And they sat down to eat bread : and they lifted up their eyes and looked , and , behold , a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh , going to carry it down to Egypt . * And Judah said unto his brethren , What profit is it if we slay our brother , and conceal his blood ? * Come , and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites , and let not our hand be upon him ; for he is our brother and our flesh . And his brethren were content . * Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen ; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit , and sold 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 rent his clothes . * And he returned unto his brethren , and said , The child is not ; and I , whither shall I go ? * 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 . * And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar , an officer of Pharaoh 's , and captain of the guard . * And it came to pass at that time , that Judah went down from his brethren , and turned in to a certain Adullamite , whose name was Hirah . * And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite , whose name was Shuah ; and he took her , and went in unto her . * And she conceived , and bare a son ; and he called his name Er . * And she conceived again , and bare a son ; and she called his name Onan . * And she yet again conceived , and bare a son ; and called his name Shelah : and he was at Chezib , when she bare him . * And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn , whose name was Tamar . * And Er , Judah 's firstborn , was wicked in the sight of the LORD ; and the LORD slew him . * And Judah said unto Onan , Go in unto thy brother 's wife , and marry her , and raise up seed to thy brother . * And Onan knew that the seed should not be his ; and it came to pass , when he went in unto his brother 's wife , that he spilled it on the ground , lest that he should give seed to his brother . * And the thing which he did displeased the LORD : wherefore he slew him also . * Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law , Remain a widow at thy father 's house , till Shelah my son be grown : for he said , Lest peradventure he die also , as his brethren did . And Tamar went and dwelt in her father 's house . * And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah 's wife died ; and Judah was comforted , and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath , he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite . * And it was told Tamar , saying , Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep . * And she put her widow 's garments off from her , and covered her with a vail , and wrapped herself , and sat in an open place , which is by the way to Timnath ; for she saw that Shelah was grown , and she was not given unto him to wife . * When Judah saw her , he thought her to be an harlot ; because she had covered her face . * And he turned unto her by the way , and said , Go to , I pray thee , let me come in unto thee ; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law .) And she said , What wilt thou give me , that thou mayest come in unto me ? * And he said , I will send thee a kid from the flock . And she said , Wilt thou give me a pledge , till thou send it ? * And he said , What pledge shall I give thee ? And she said , Thy signet , and thy bracelets , and thy staff that is in thine hand . And he gave it her , and came in unto her , and she conceived by him . * And she arose , and went away , and laid by her vail from her , and put on the garments of her widowhood . * And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite , to receive his pledge from the woman 's hand : but he found her not . * Then he asked the men of that place , saying , Where is the harlot , that was openly by the way side ? And they said , There was no harlot in this place . * And he returned to Judah , and said , I cannot find her ; and also the men of the place said , that there was no harlot in this place . * And Judah said , Let her take it to her , lest we be shamed : behold , I sent this kid , and thou hast not found her . * And it came to pass about three months after , that it was told Judah , saying , Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot ; and also , behold , she is with child by whoredom . And Judah said , Bring her forth , and let her be burnt . * When she was brought forth , she sent to her father in law , saying , By the man , whose these are , am I with child : and she said , Discern , I pray thee , whose are these , the signet , and bracelets , and staff . * And Judah acknowledged them , and said , She hath been more righteous than I ; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son . And he knew her again no more . * And it came to pass in the time of her travail , that , behold , twins were in her womb . * And it came to pass , when she travailed , that the one put out his hand : and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread , saying , This came out first . * And it came to pass , as he drew back his hand , that , behold , his brother came out : and she said , How hast thou broken forth ? this breach be upon thee : therefore his name was called Pharez . * And afterward came out his brother , that had the scarlet thread upon his hand : and his name was called Zarah . * And Joseph was brought down to Egypt ; and Potiphar , an officer of Pharaoh , captain of the guard , an Egyptian , bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites , which had brought him down thither .

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