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Genesis 37:12-36 — Joseph Sold by His Brothers

Gen.37.12-36

¹²His brothers went to tend their father's flock in Shechem. ¹³Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers tending the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” He said to him, “Here I am.” ¹⁴He said to him, “Please go and see whether your brothers are well, and whether the flock is well, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. ¹⁵A man found him wandering in the field, and the man asked him, “What are you looking for?” ¹⁶He said, “I am looking for my brothers. Please tell me where they are tending the flock.” ¹⁷The man said, “They have moved on from here, for I heard them saying, 'Let us go to Dothan.'” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan. ¹⁸They saw him from a distance, and before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. ¹⁹They said to one another, “Look, here comes this master dreamer.” ²⁰Now then, come, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say, 'A wild beast devoured him,' and we will see what becomes of his dreams." ²¹But Reuben heard it and rescued him from their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” ²²Reuben said to them, “Do not shed blood. Throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—so that he might rescue him from their hands and return him to his father. ²³And when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his robe, the ornate robe he was wearing. ²⁴They took him and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. ²⁵Then they sat down to eat bread. And as they lifted up their eyes and looked, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels carrying gum, balm, and ladanum, on their way down to Egypt. ²⁶Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?” ²⁷Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh." And his brothers listened. ²⁸When Midianite traders passed by, his brothers drew Joseph up and brought him out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they brought Joseph to Egypt. ²⁹When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes. ³⁰He returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I—where can I go?” ³¹Then they took Joseph's robe, slaughtered a male goat, and dipped the robe in the blood. ³²They sent the ornate robe and brought it to their father and said, “We found this. Please examine whether it is your son's robe or not.” ³³He recognized it and said, “My son's robe! A wild beast devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.” ³⁴Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days. ³⁵All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “Surely I will go down to my son mourning, to Sheol .” And his father wept for him. ³⁶Meanwhile the Medanites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard .

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4/11/2026

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