Genesis 37:12-36 - Joseph Sold Into Slavery By His Brothers

¹² His brethren went to keep their father's sheep in Shechem, ¹³ and Israel said unto Joseph, "Do not thy brethren keep in Shechem? Come, that I may send thee to them." And he answered, "Here am I."

¹⁴ And he said unto him, "Go and see whether it be well with thy brethren and the sheep, and bring me word again." And sent him out of the vale of Hebron, for to go to Shechem.

¹⁵ And a certain man found him wandering out of his way in the field, and asked him what he sought.

¹⁶ And he answered, "I seek my brethren, tell me, I pray thee, where they keep sheep."

¹⁷ And the man said, "They are departed hence, for I heard them say, 'Let us go unto Dothan.'" Thus went Joseph after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.

¹⁸ And when they saw him afar off before he came at them, they took counsel against him, for to slay him, ¹⁹ and said one to another, "Behold, this dreamer cometh; ²⁰ come now and let us slay him and cast him into some pit, and let us say that some wicked beast hath devoured him, and let us see what his dreams will come to."

²¹ When Reuben heard that, he went about to rid him out of their hands, and said, "Let us not kill him." ²² And Reuben said moreover unto them, "Shed not his blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hands upon him." For he would have rid him out of their hands and delivered him to his father again.

²³ And as soon as Joseph was come unto his brethren, they stripped him out of his gay coat that was upon him, ²⁴ and they took him and cast him into a pit. But the pit was empty and had no water therein.

²⁵ And they sat them down to eat bread. And as they lift up their eyes and looked about, there came a company of Ishmaelites from Gilead, and their camels laden with spicery, balm, and myrrh, and were going down into Egypt.

²⁶ Then said Judah to his brethren, "What availeth it that we slay our brother, and keep his blood secret? ²⁷ Come on, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hands be defiled upon him: for he is our brother and our flesh." And his brethren were content. ²⁸ Then as the Midianites merchant men passed by, they drew Joseph out of the pit and sold him unto the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they brought him into Egypt.

²⁹ And when Reuben came again unto the pit and found not Joseph there, he rent his clothes, ³⁰ and went again unto his brethren, saying, "The lad is not yonder, and whither shall I go?" ³¹ And they took Joseph's coat and killed a goat, and dipped the coat in the blood. ³² And they sent that gay coat and caused it to be brought unto their father and said, "This have we found: see, whether it be thy son's coat or no."

³³ And he knew it, saying, "It is my son's coat: a wicked beast hath devoured him, and Joseph is rent in pieces." ³⁴ And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth about his loins, and sorrowed for his son a long season. ³⁵ Then came all his sons and all his daughters to comfort him. And he would not be comforted, but said, "I will go down into the grave unto my son, mourning." And thus his father wept for him.

³⁶ And the Midianites sold him in Egypt unto Potiphar, a lord of Pharaoh's: and his chief marshal.