Genesis:37

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* Now Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger , in the land of Canaan . * 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 a bad report of them to his father . * Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children , because he was the son of his old age . Also he made him a tunic of many colors . * But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers , they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him . * Now Joseph had a dream , and he told it to his brothers ; and they hated him even more . * So he said to them , "Please hear this dream which I have dreamed : * There 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 ." * 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 . * Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers , and said , "Look , I have dreamed another dream . And this time , the sun , the moon , and the eleven stars bowed down to me ." * 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 your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you ?" * And his brothers envied him , but his father kept the matter in mind . * Then his brothers went to feed their father 's flock in Shechem . * 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 ." * 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 Hebron , and he went to Shechem . * Now a certain man found him , and there he was , wandering in the field . And the man asked him , saying , "What are you seeking ?" * So he said , "I am seeking my brothers . Please tell me where they are feeding their flocks ." * 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 Dothan . * Now when they saw him afar off , even before he came near them , they conspired against him to kill him . * Then they said to one another , "Look , this dreamer is coming ! * Come 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 !" * But Reuben heard it , and he delivered him out of their hands , and said , "Let us not kill him ." * 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 . * So it came to pass , when Joseph had come to his brothers , that they stripped Joseph of his tunic , the tunic of many colors that was on him . * Then 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 a meal . Then they lifted their eyes and looked , and there was a company of Ishmaelites , coming from Gilead with their camels , bearing spices , balm , and myrrh , on their way to carry them down to Egypt . * So Judah said to his brothers , "What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood ? * Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites , and let not our hand be upon him , for he is our brother and our flesh ." And his brothers listened . * Then Midianite traders passed by ; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit , and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver . And they took Joseph to Egypt . * Then Reuben returned to the pit , and indeed Joseph was not in the pit ; and he tore his clothes . * And he returned to his brothers and said , "The lad is no more ; and I , where shall I go ?" * So they took Joseph 's tunic , killed a kid of the goats , and dipped the tunic in the blood . * 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 ?" * And he recognized it and said , "It is my son 's tunic . A wild beast has devoured him . Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces ." * Then Jacob tore his clothes , put sackcloth on his waist , and mourned for his son many days . * And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him ; but he refused to be comforted , and he said , "For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning ." Thus his father wept for him . * Now the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar , an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard .

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