Barashyt(Genesis) — 37

1 Now Ya'aqub dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 

2 This is the history of Ya'aqub and his family. Ya'asaf, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Ya'asaf brought a bad report of them to his father.

3 Now YASHAR'AL loved Ya'asaf more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a coat of many colors. 

4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak with Shalum to him.

5 Now Ya'asaf had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. 

6 So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: 

7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.”

8 And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

9 Then Ya'asaf dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”

10 So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the Arath (earth) before you?” 

11 And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

12 Then his brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shacham. 

13 And YASHAR'AL said to Ya'asaf, “Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shacham? Come, I will send you to them.” So Ya'asaf said to Ya'aqub, “Here I am.”

14 Then Ya'aqub said to Ya'asaf, “Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.” So he sent him out of the Valley of Habrun, and he went to Shacham.

15 Now a certain man found Ya'asaf, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, “What are you seeking?”

16 So Ya'asaf said, “I am seeking my brothers. Please tell me where they are feeding their flocks.”

17 And the man said, “They have departed from here, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Duthan.’ ” So Ya'asaf went after his brothers and found them in Duthan.

18 Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. 

19 Then they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming! 

20 Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!”

21 But Rauban heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.” 

22 And Rauban said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.

23 So it came to pass, when Ya'asaf had come to his brothers, that they stripped Ya'asaf of his coat, the coat of many colors that was on him. 

24 Then they took Ya'asaf and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it.

25 And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaalites, coming from Gilaad with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Mitzraym. 

26 So Yahudah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 

27 Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaalites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers listened. 

28 Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Ya'asaf up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaalites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Ya'asaf to Mitzraym.

29 Then Rauban returned to the pit, and indeed Ya'asaf was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes. 

30 And he returned to his brothers and said, “The lad is no more; and where shall I go?”

31 So they took Ya'asaf’s coat, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood.

32 Then they sent the coat of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, “We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son’s coat or not?”

33 And he recognized it and said, “It is my son’s coat. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Ya'asaf is torn to pieces.” 

34 Then Ya'aqub tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. 

35 And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, “For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.” Thus his father wept for him.

36 Now the Midianites had sold Ya'asaf in Mitzraym to Putiphar, an officer of Phar'uh and captain of the guard.