the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Green's Literal Translation
Genesis 37
1 And Jacob lived in the land of his father's travels, in the land of Canaan.2 These are the generations of Jacob: Joseph, a son of seventeen years, was feeding the flock with his brothers, with Bilhah's sons and with Zilpah's sons, his father's wives. And he was a youth. And Joseph brought an evil report of them to their father.3 And Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was a son of old age to him. And he made a robe reaching to the soles of his feet.4 And his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him. And they were not able to speak to him for peace.
5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and told it to his brothers. And they increased to hate him still more.6 And he said to them, Now hear this dream which I have dreamed:7 And, behold! We were binding sheaves in the middle of the field. And, behold, my sheaf rose up and also stood up. And, behold, your sheaves came around and bowed themselves to my sheaf.8 And his brothers said to him, Shall you indeed reign over us, or shall you really rule over us? And they hated him still more because of his dreams, and because of his words.9 And he dreamed still another dream, and told it to his brothers. And he said, Behold, I have dreamed another dream: And, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars were bowing themselves to me.10 And he told it to his father, and to his brothers. And his father rebuked him, and said to him, What is this dream which you have dreamed? Shall we indeed come to bow ourselves tothe earth to you, I, your mother, and yourbrothers?11 And his brothers were jealous of him. But his father observed the word.
12 And his brothers went to feed the flock of their father in Shechem.13 And Israel said to Joseph, Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them. And he said to him, Behold me.14 And he said to him, Now go, see the welfare of your brothers, and the welfare of the flock, and bring word back to me. And he sent him out of the valley of Hebron. And he came to Shechem.15 And a man found him. And, behold, he was wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, What do you seek?16 And he said, I am looking for my brothers. Please tell me where they are feeding the flock .17 And the man said, They have left here, for I heard them say, Let us go towards Dothan. And Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan.18 And they saw him from a distance. And before he came near to them, they plotted against him, to kill him.19 And they said, each to his brother, Behold, this master of dreams is coming.20 And, Come now, and let us kill him, and throw him into one of the pits. And let us say, An evil beast has eaten him. And let us see what will become of his dreams.21 And Reuben heard, and he delivered him from their hands, and said, Let us not smite his soul.22 And Reuben said to them, Do not shed blood. Throw him into this pit in the desert, but do not lay a hand on him; so that he might deliver him from their hands, to return him to his father.
23 And it happened when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped his robe which was on him, from Joseph, the robe reaching to the soles of his feet.24 And they took him and threw him into the pit, the pit being empty, no water in it.25 And they sat down to eat bread. And they lifted up their eyes and looked. And, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead! And their camels were bearing spices, and balsam gum, and myrrh, going down to take them to Egypt.26 And Judah said to his brothers, What gain is it that we kill our brother and conceal his blood?27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and do not let our hand be on him. For he is our brother, our flesh. And his brothers listened.28 And men, Midianites, traders, passed. And they drew up and took Joseph out of the pit, and they sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they brought Joseph into Egypt.29 And Reuben came back to the pit. And, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes.30 And he returned to his brothers and said, The child, he is not. And I, where shall I go?
31 And they took Joseph's robe, and killed a ram of the goats, and dipped the robe in the blood.32 And they sent the robe reaching to the soles of his feet, and they took it to their father, and said, We have found this. Now look, is it your son's robe?33 And he knew it, and said, My son's robe! An evil beast has eaten him. Being torn Joseph is torn in pieces.34 And Jacob tore his clothing and put sackcloth on his loins. And he mourned many days for his son.35 And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him. And he refused to be comforted, and said, I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son. And his father wept for him.36 And the Midianites sold him into Egypt, to Potiphar, a eunuch of Pharaoh, the chief of the executioners.
Green's Literal Translation
Copyright © 1976-2000 by Jay P. Green, Sr. Used by permission of the copyright holder.