King James Version KJV
Revised Standard Version RSV
1 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
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Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan.
2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
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This is the history of the family of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; he was a lad with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought an ill report of them to their father.
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
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Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a long robe with sleeves.
4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
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But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.
5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
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Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they only hated him the more.
6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
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He said to them, "Hear this dream which I have dreamed:
7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
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behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf arose and stood upright; and behold, your sheaves gathered round it, and bowed down to my sheaf."
8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
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His brothers said to him, "Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to have dominion over us?" So they hated him yet more for his dreams and for his words.
9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
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Then he dreamed another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, "Behold, I have dreamed another dream; and behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me."
10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
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But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him, and said to him, "What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?"
11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
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And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
12 And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.
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Now his brothers went to pasture their father's flock near Shechem.
13 And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.
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And Israel said to Joseph, "Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them." And he said to him, "Here I am."
14 And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
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So he said to him, "Go now, see if it is well with your brothers, and with the flock; and bring me word again." So he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15 And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
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And a man found him wandering in the fields; and the man asked him, "What are you seeking?"
16 And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.
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"I am seeking my brothers," he said, "tell me, I pray you, where they are pasturing the flock."
17 And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
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And the man said, "They have gone away, for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers, and found them at Dothan.
18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
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They saw him afar off, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him.
19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
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They said to one another, "Here comes this dreamer.
20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
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Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild beast has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams."
21 And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.
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But when Reuben heard it, he delivered him out of their hands, saying, "Let us not take his life."
22 And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.
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And Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood; cast him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand upon him" --that he might rescue him out of their hand, to restore him to his father.
23 And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;
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So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the long robe with sleeves that he wore;
24 And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
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and they took him and cast him into a pit. The pit was empty, there was no water in it.
25 And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
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Then they sat down to eat; and looking up they saw a caravan of Ish'maelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt.
26 And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
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Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood?
27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.
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Come, let us sell him to the Ish'maelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh." And his brothers heeded him.
28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
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Then Mid'ianite traders passed by; and they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ish'maelites for twenty shekels of silver; and they took Joseph to Egypt.
29 And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
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When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he rent his clothes
30 And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?
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and returned to his brothers, and said, "The lad is gone; and I, where shall I go?"
31 And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;
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Then they took Joseph's robe, and killed a goat, and dipped the robe in the blood;
32 And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no.
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and they sent the long robe with sleeves and brought it to their father, and said, "This we have found; see now whether it is your son's robe or not."
33 And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.
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And he recognized it, and said, "It is my son's robe; a wild beast has devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces."
34 And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
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Then Jacob rent his garments, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
35 And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.
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All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and said, "No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning." Thus his father wept for him.
36 And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.
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Meanwhile the Mid'ianites had sold him in Egypt to Pot'i-phar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.