Chapter 37

  And Jacob dwelt in the land of Chanaan wherein his father sojourned.  

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  And these are his generations: Joseph, when he was sixteen years old, was feeding the dock with his brethren, being but a boy: and he was with the sons of and of Zelpha his father's wives : and he accused his brethren to his father of a most wicked crime.  

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  Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had him in his old age: and he made him a coat of divers colours.  

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  And his brethren seeing that he was loved by his father, more than all his sons, hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.  

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  Now it fell out also that he told his brethren a dream, that he had dreamed: which occasioned them to hate him the more.  

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  And he said to them: Hear my dream which I dreamed.  

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  I thought we were binding sheaves in the field: and my sheaf arose as it were, end stood, and your sheaves standing about, bowed down before my sheaf.  

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  His brethren answered : Shalt thou be our king? or shall we be subject to thy dominion? Therefore this matter of his dreams and words ministered nourishment to their envy and hatred.  

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  He dreamed also another dream, which he told his brethren, saying: I saw in a dream, as it were the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars worshipping me.  

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  And when he had told this to his father and brethren, his father rebuked him, and said: What meaneth this dream that thou hast dreamed? shall I and thy mother, and thy brethren worship thee upon the earth?  

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  His brethren therefore envied him: but his father considered the thing with himself.  

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  And when his brethren abode in Sichem feeding their father's docks,  

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  Israel said to him : Thy brethren feed the sheep in Sichem: come, I will send thee to them. And when he answered:  

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  I am ready: he said to him: Go, and see if all things be well with thy brethren, and the cattle: and bring me word again what is doing. So being sent from the vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem:  

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  And a man found him there wandering in the field, and asked what he sought.  

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  But he answered: I seek my brethren; tell me where they feed the docks.  

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  And the man said to him: They are departed from this place: for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothain. And Joseph went forward after his brethren, and found them in Dothain.  

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  And when they saw him afar off, be- fore he came nigh them, they thought to kill him.  

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  And said one to another: Behold the dreamer cometh.  

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  Come, let us kill him, and cast him into some old pit : and we will say : Some evil beast hath devoured him: and then it shall appear what his dreams avail him :  

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  And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, end said:  

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  Do not take away his life, nor shed his blood: but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless: now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands and to restore him to his father.  

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  And as soon as he came to his brethren, they forthwith stript him of his outside coat, that was of divers colours:  

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  And cast him into an old pit, where there was no water.  

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  And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ismaelites on their way coming from Calaad, with their camels, carrying spices, and balm, and myrrh to Egypt.  

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  And Juda said to his brethren: What will it profit us to kill our brother, and conceal his blood?  

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  It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our hands be not defiled: for he is our brother and our flesh. His brethren agreed to his words.  

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  And when the Madianite merchants passed by, they drew him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ismaelites, for twenty pieces of silver: and they led him into Egypt.  

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  And Ruben, returning to the pit, found not the boy:  

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  And rending his garments he went to his brethren, and said: The boy doth not appear and whither shall I go?  

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  And they took his coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid, which they had killed :  

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  Sending some to carry it to their father, and to say: This we have found: see whether it be thy son's coat, or not.  

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  And the father acknowledging it, said: It is my son's coat, an evil wild beast hath eaten him, a beast hath devoured Joseph.  

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  And tearing his garments, he put an sackcloth, mourning for his son a long time.  

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  And alibis children being gathered together to comfort their father in his sorrow, he would not receive comfort, but said: I will go down to my son into hell, mourning. And whilst he continued weeping,  

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  The Madianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Putiphar, an eunuch of Pharao, captain of the soldiers.  

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