Genesis

And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.

1Jacob lived in Canaan. His father had lived there too, as a visitor.

2These 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.

2This is the story of Jacob's family. Joseph was seventeen years old. He took care of the sheep with his brothers. He worked with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. Joseph told his father about the bad things his brothers did.

3Now 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.

3Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons. Joseph was born when his father was old. So his father made him a coat with many colors.

4And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

4Joseph's brothers saw that their father loved Joseph best. So they hated Joseph. They could not say one kind word to him.

5And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.

5One night Joseph had a dream. He told his brothers about it. Then they hated him even more.

6And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:

6Joseph said to them, "Please listen to the dream I had."

7For, 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.

7"We were tying up bundles of grain in the field. My bundle stood up straight. Your bundles gathered around mine. Then they bowed down low to my bundle."

8And 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.

8His brothers said, "Do you think you will be our king? Do you think you will rule over us?" They hated him even more for his dream and his words.

9And 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.

9Joseph had another dream. He told his brothers about that one too. He said, "Listen, I had one more dream. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowed down to me."

10And 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?

10He told his father and his brothers. His father spoke to him firmly. He said, "What kind of dream is that? Will your mother and your brothers and I bow down to the ground before you?"

11And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

11His brothers were jealous of him. But his father kept thinking about what Joseph said.

12And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.

12Later, Joseph's brothers went to feed their father's sheep near Shechem.

13And 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.

13Israel said to Joseph, "Your brothers are with the sheep at Shechem. Get ready. I am sending you to them." Joseph said, "I am ready."

14And 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.

14His father said, "Go and see if your brothers and the sheep are all right. Then come back and tell me." So he sent Joseph from the valley of Hebron. Joseph came to Shechem.

15And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?

15A man found Joseph wandering around in the field. The man asked him, "What are you looking for?"

16And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.

16Joseph said, "I am looking for my brothers. Please tell me where they are feeding their sheep."

17And 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.

17The man said, "They have gone away from here. I heard them say, 'Let's go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers. He found them at Dothan.

18And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

18His brothers saw him coming from far away. Before he got close, they made a plan to kill him.

19And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.

19They said to each other, "Here comes that dreamer."

20Come 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.

20"Let's kill him and throw him into one of these pits. We will say a wild animal ate him. Then we will see what happens to his dreams."

21And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.

21Reuben heard them. He tried to save Joseph. He said, "Let's not kill him."

22And 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.

22Reuben said, "Do not spill his blood. Throw him into this pit out here in the wild. But do not hurt him." Reuben said this so he could save Joseph later. He planned to bring him back to their father.

23And 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;

23Joseph came to his brothers. They pulled off his coat, the coat of many colors he was wearing.

24And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

24They picked him up and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty. There was no water in it.

25And 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.

25Then they sat down to eat. They looked up and saw a group of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels carried spices and sweet-smelling tree sap. They were taking it all down to Egypt.

NoteThe KJV says "balm and myrrh." These are sticky, sweet-smelling saps from trees. People used them as medicine and perfume, and they cost a lot of money.

26And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?

26Judah said to his brothers, "What do we gain if we kill our brother and hide it?"

27Come, 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.

27"Let's sell him to the Ishmaelites instead. Let's not hurt him ourselves. He is our brother. He is our own family." The other brothers agreed.

28Then 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.

28Some Midianite traders came by. The brothers pulled Joseph up out of the pit. They sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The traders took Joseph to Egypt.

29And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.

29Reuben came back to the pit. Joseph was not there. Reuben tore his clothes because he was so upset.

30And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?

30He went back to his brothers and said, "The boy is gone! What am I going to do now?"

31And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;

31Then they took Joseph's coat. They killed a young goat and dipped the coat in its blood.

32And 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.

32They took the coat of many colors to their father. They said, "We found this. Look at it. Is it your son's coat or not?"

33And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.

33Their father knew the coat. He said, "It is my son's coat! A wild animal has eaten him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces."

34And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.

34Jacob tore his clothes because he was so sad. He put rough cloth around his waist. He cried for his son for many days.

NoteThe KJV says "sackcloth." This was scratchy, ugly cloth. People wore it to show everyone they were very sad.

35And 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.

35All his sons and daughters tried to make him feel better. But he would not be comforted. He said, "I will keep crying for my son until I die." So Jacob wept for Joseph.

36And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, and captain of the guard.

36In Egypt, the Midianites sold Joseph to a man named Potiphar. Potiphar worked for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, as the leader of his guards.