1 | And Jacob dwelt in the land of Chanaan wherein his father sojourned. |
2 | And these are his generations: Joseph, when he was sixteen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren, being but a boy: and he was with the sons of Bala and of Zelpha his father's wives: and he accused his brethren to his father of a most wicked crime. |
3 | Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had him in his old age: and he made him a coat of divers colours. |
4 | And his brethren seeing that he was loved by his father, more than all his sons, hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him. |
5 | Now it fell out also that he told his brethren a dream, that he had dreamed: which occasioned them to hate him the more. |
6 | And he said to them: Hear my dream which I dreamed. |
7 | I thought we were binding sheaves in the field: and my sheaf arose as it were, and stood, and your sheaves standing about, bowed down before my sheaf. |
8 | His brethren answered: Shalt thou be our king? or shall we be subject to thy dominion? Therefore this matter of his dreams and words ministered nourishment to their envy and hatred. |
9 | He dreamed also another dream, which he told his brethren, saying: I saw in a dream, as it were the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars worshipping me. |
10 | And when he had told this to his father and brethren, his father rebuked him, and said: What meaneth this dream that thou hast dreamed? shall I and thy mother, and thy brethren worship thee upon the earth? |
11 | His brethren therefore envied him: but his father considered the thing with himself. |
12 | And when his brethren abode in Sichem feeding their father's flocks, |
13 | Israel said to him: Thy brethren feed the sheep in Sichem: come, I will send thee to them. And when he answered: |
14 | I am ready: he said to him: Go, and see if all things be well with thy brethren, and the cattle: and bring me word again what is doing. So being sent from the vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem: |
15 | And a man found him there wandering in the field, and asked what he sought. |
16 | But he answered: I seek my brethren; tell me where they feed the flocks. |
17 | And the man said to him: They are departed from this place: for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothain. And Joseph went forward after his brethren, and found them in Dothain. |
18 | And when they saw him afar off, before he came nigh them, they thought to kill him. |
19 | And said one to another: Behold the dreamer cometh. |
20 | Come, let us kill him, and cast him into some old pit: and we will say: Some evil beast hath devoured him: and then it shall appear what his dreams avail him: |
21 | And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and said: |
22 | Do not take away his life, nor shed his blood: but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless: now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands and to restore him to his father. |
23 | And as soon as he came to his brethren, they forthwith stript him of his outside coat, that was of divers colours: |
24 | And cast him into an old pit, where there was no water. |
25 | And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ismaelites on their way coming from Galaad, with their camels, carrying spices, and balm, and myrrh to Egypt. |
26 | And Juda said to his brethren: What will it profit us to kill our brother, and conceal his blood? |
27 | It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our hands be not defiled: for he is our brother and our flesh. His brethren agreed to his words. |
28 | And when the Madianite merchants passed by, they drew him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ismaelites, for twenty pieces of silver: and they led him into Egypt. |
29 | And Ruben, returning to the pit, found not the boy: |
30 | And rending his garments he went to his brethren, and said: The boy doth not appear and whither shall I go? |
31 | And they took his coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid, which they had killed: |
32 | Sending some to carry it to their father, and to say: This we have found: see whether it be thy son's coat, or not. |
33 | And the father acknowledging it, said: It is my son's coat, an evil wild beast hath eaten him, a beast hath devoured Joseph. |
34 | And tearing his garments, he put on sackcloth, mourning for his son a long time. |
35 | And all his children being gathered together to comfort their father in his sorrow, he would not receive comfort, but said: I will go down to my son into hell, mourning. And whilst he continued weeping, |
36 | The Madianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Putiphar, an eunuch of Pharao, captain of the soldiers. |