Joseph’s Brothers Sell Him as a Slave

37:12-36

12 Then his brothers went to shepherd the flocks of their father near Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Aren’t your brothers shepherding near Shechem? Come and I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Behold me.” 14 Then he said to him, “Please go and see the well-being of your brothers and the well-being of the flocks, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem. 15 And a man found him, and behold, he was wandering around in the fields. So the man asked him, saying, “What are you looking for?” 16 And he said, “I am looking for my brothers. Please tell me where they are shepherding.” 17 Then the man said, “They set out from here. For I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ”

Then Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan. 18 But they saw him from a distance, and before he came near to them, then they conspired against him to kill him. 19 And they said each to his brother, “Behold, that master of dreams is coming! 20 So now, come and let us kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns. Then we will say an evil animal devoured him, and we will see what his dreams become!”

21 But Reuben heard, and he rescued him from their hands and said, “Let us not strike his life.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Do not shed blood. Throw him into this cistern which is in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him,” in order to rescue him from their hands, to return him to his father.

23 Then it happened when Joseph came to his brothers, then they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the multicolored tunic that was on him. 24 Then they took him and threw him into the cistern. And the cistern was empty; there was not water in it.

25 Then they sat down to eat bread, and they lifted their eyes and looked, and behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead. And their camels were carrying spices and balm and myrrh that they were going to take down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What gain is there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites so that our hands will not be on him. For he is our brother, our flesh.” And his brothers listened. 28 Then the Midianite men, traders, passed by, and they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the cistern and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. Then they brought Joseph to Egypt.

29 Then Reuben returned to the cistern, but behold, Joseph was not in the cistern, so he tore his clothes. 30 Then he returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is not there! And I, where am I going?” 31 Then they took Joseph’s tunic and slaughtered a kid of the goats and dipped the tunic in the blood.

32 Then they sent the multicolored tunic and had it brought to their father and said, “We found this. Please examine whether it is your son’s tunic or not.” 33 And he examined it and said, “It is my son’s tunic! An evil animal has devoured him! Surely Joseph was torn to pieces!” 34 Then Jacob tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his loins, and he mourned for his son many days. 35 And all his sons and all his daughters got up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “For I will go down to my son in Sheol mourning.” So his father wept for him.

36 And the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh, the chief of the guards.