Joseph’s Coat of Many Colors. 

Genesis 37:1-35

Bible Stories

 

Genesis 37:1 Now Jacob lived in the land of Canaan, where his father sojourned.

Genesis 37:2 And these are his generations. Joseph, when he was sixteen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers, when he was still a boy. And he was with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, the wives of his father. And he accused his brothers to their father of a most sinful crime.

Genesis 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had conceived him in his old age. And he made him a tunic, woven of many colors.

Genesis 37:4 Then his brothers, seeing that he was loved by his father more than all his other sons, hated him, and they were not able to say anything peacefully to him.

Genesis 37:5 Then it also happened that he recounted the vision of a dream to his brothers, for which reason a greater hatred began to be nurtured.

Genesis 37:6 And he said to them, “Listen to my dream that I saw.

Genesis 37:7 I thought we were binding sheaves in the field. And my sheaf seemed to rise up and stand, and your sheaves, standing in a circle, reverenced my sheaf.”

Genesis 37:8 His brothers responded: “Would you be our king? Or will we be subject to your dominion?” Therefore, this matter of his dreams and words provided kindling to their envy and hatred.

Genesis 37:9 Likewise, he saw another dream, which he explained to his brothers, saying, “I saw by a dream, as if the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars were reverencing me.”

Genesis 37:10 And when he had related this to his father and brothers, his father rebuked him, and he said: “What does it mean to you, this dream that you have seen? Should I, and your mother, and your brothers reverence you upon the earth?”

Genesis 37:11 Therefore, his brothers were envious of him. Yet truly, his father considered the matter silently.

Genesis 37:12 And while his brothers were lodging at Shechem, pasturing their father’s flocks,

Genesis 37:13 Israel said to him: “Your brothers are pasturing the sheep at Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” And when he answered,

Genesis 37:14 “I am ready,” he said to him, “Go, and see if everything is prospering with your brothers and the cattle, and report to me what is happening.” So, having been sent from the valley of Hebron, he arrived at Shechem.

Genesis 37:15 And a man found him wandering in a field, and he asked him what he was seeking.

Genesis 37:16 So he responded: “I seek my brothers. Tell me where they pasture the flocks.”

Genesis 37:17 And the man said to him: “They have withdrawn from this place. But I heard them saying, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” Therefore, Joseph continued on after his brothers, and he found them at Dothan.

Genesis 37:18 And, when they had seen him from afar, before he approached them, they decided to kill him.

Genesis 37:19 And they said one to another: “Behold, the dreamer approaches.

Genesis 37:20 Come, let us kill him and cast him into the old cistern. And let us say: ‘an evil wild beast has devoured him.’ And then it will become apparent what his dreams will do for him.”

Genesis 37:21 But Reuben, on hearing this, strove to free him from their hands, and he said:

Genesis 37:22 “Do not take away his life, nor shed blood. But throw him into this cistern, which is in the wilderness, and so keep your hands harmless.” But he said this, wanting to rescue him from their hands, so as to return him to his father.

Genesis 37:23 And so, as soon as he came to his brothers, they very quickly stripped him of his tunic, which was ankle-length and woven of many colors,

Genesis 37:24 and they cast him into an old cistern, which held no water.

Genesis 37:25 And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ishmaelites, travelers coming from Gilead, with their camels, carrying spices, and resin, and oil of myrrh into Egypt.

Genesis 37:26 Therefore, Judah said to his brothers: “What will it profit us, if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?

Genesis 37:27 It is better that he be sold to the Ishmaelites, and then our hands will not be defiled. For he is our brother and our flesh.” His brothers agreed to his words.

Genesis 37:28 And when the Midianite merchants were passing by, they drew him from the cistern, and they sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And these led him into Egypt.

Genesis 37:29 And Reuben, returning to the cistern, did not find the boy.

Genesis 37:30 And rending his garments, he went to his brothers and said, “The boy is not present, and so where shall I go?”

Genesis 37:31 Then they took his tunic, and they dipped it in the blood of a young goat, which they had killed,

Genesis 37:32 sending those who carried it to their father, and they said: “We found this. See whether it is the tunic of your son or not.”

Genesis 37:33 And when the father acknowledged it, he said: “It is the tunic of my son. An evil wild beast has eaten him; a beast has devoured Joseph.”

Genesis 37:34 And tearing his garments, he was clothed in haircloth, mourning his son for a long time.

Genesis 37:35 Then, when all of his sons gathered together to ease their father’s sorrow, he was not willing to accept consolation, but he said: “I will descend in mourning to my son in the underworld.” And while he persevered in weeping,