41 YOSEPH'S DREAMS
Yoseph, the Son of Yacob, Dreams of his Future Exaltation over his Brethren. Being his Father's Favorite, his Brethren become Jealous. Yoseph is sent to Visit his Brethren. They conspire against him, and at the Suggestion of Reuben Place him in a Pit.
1 And at the revolution of the year the sons of Yacob journeyed from Shechem, and they came to Hebron, to their father Isaac, and they dwelt there, but their flocks and herds they fed daily in Shechem, for there was there in those days good and fat pasture, and Yacob and his sons and all their household dwelt in the valley of Hebron.
2 And it was in those days, in that year, being the hundred and sixth year of the life of Yacob, in the tenth year of Yacob's coming from Padan-aram, that Leah the wife of Yacob died; she was fifty-one years old when she died in Hebron.
3 And Yacob and his sons buried her in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which is in Hebron, which Abraham had bought from the children of Heth, for the possession of a burial place.
4 And the sons of Yacob dwelt with their father in the valley of Hebron, and all the inhabitants of the land knew their strength and their fame went throughout the land.
5 And Yoseph the son of Yacob, and his brother Benjamin, the sons of Rachel, the wife of Yacob, were yet young in those days, and did not go out with their brethren during their battles in all the cities of the Amorites.
6 And when Yoseph saw the strength of his brethren, and their greatness, he praised them and extolled them, but he ranked himself greater than them, and extolled himself above them; and Yacob, his father, also loved him more than any of his sons, for he was a son of his old age, and through his love toward him, he made him a coat of many colors.
7 And when Yoseph saw that his father loved him more than his brethren, he continued to exalt himself above his brethren, and he brought unto his father evil reports concerning them.
8 And the sons of Yacob seeing the whole of Yoseph's conduct toward them, and that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him all the days.
9 And Yoseph was seventeen years old, and he was still magnifying himself above his brethren, and thought of raising himself above them.
10 At that time he dreamed a dream, and he came unto his brothers and told them his dream, and he said unto them, I dreamed a dream, and behold we were all binding sheaves in the field, and my sheaf rose and placed itself upon the ground and your sheaves surrounded it and bowed down to it.
11 And his brethren answered him and said unto him, What means this dream that you did dream? did you imagine in your heart to reign or rule over us?
12 And he still came, and told the thing to his father Yacob, and Yacob kissed Yoseph when he heard these words from his mouth, and Yacob blessed Yoseph.
13 And when the sons of Yacob saw that their father had blessed Yoseph and had kissed him, and that he loved him exceedingly, they became jealous of him and hated him the more.
14 And after this Yoseph dreamed another dream and related the dream to his father in the presence of his brethren, and Yoseph said unto his father and brethren, Behold I have again dreamed a dream, and behold the sun and the moon and the eleven stars bowed down to me.
15 And his father heard the words of Yoseph and his dream, and seeing that his brethren hated Yoseph on account of this matter, Yacob therefore rebuked Yoseph before his brethren on account of this thing, saying, What means this dream which you have dreamed, and this magnifying thyself before your brethren who are older than you are?
16 Did you imagine in your heart that I and your mother and your eleven brethren will come and bow down to you, that you speak these things?
17 And his brethren were jealous of him on account of his words and dreams, and they continued to hate him, and Yacob reserved the dreams in his heart.
18 And the sons of Yacob went one day to feed their father's flock in Shechem, for they were still herdsmen in those days; and while the sons of Yacob were that day feeding in Shechem they delayed, and the time of gathering in the cattle was passed, and they had not arrived.
19 And Yacob saw that his sons were delayed in Shechem, and Yacob said within himself, Peradventure the people of Shechem have risen up to fight against them, therefore they have delayed coming this day.
20 And Yacob called Yoseph his son and commanded him, saying, Behold your brethren are feeding in Shechem this day, and behold they have not yet come back; go now therefore and see where they are, and bring me word back concerning the welfare of your brethren and the welfare of the flock.
21 And Yacob sent his son Yoseph to the valley of Hebron, and Yoseph came for his brothers to Shechem, and could not find them, and Yoseph went about the field which was near Shechem, to see where his brothers had turned, and he missed his road in the wilderness, and knew not which way he should go.
22 And an heavenly messenger of YAHWEH found him wandering in the road toward the field, and Yoseph said unto the heavenly messenger of YAHWEH, I seek my brethren; have you not heard where they are feeding? and the heavenly messenger of YAHWEH said unto Yoseph, I saw your brethren feeding here, and I heard them say they would go to feed in Dothan.
23 And Yoseph hearkened to the voice of the heavenly messenger of YAHWEH, and he went to his brethren in Dothan and he found them in Dothan feeding the flock.
24 And Yoseph advanced to his brethren, and before he had come nigh unto them, they had resolved to slay him.
25 And Simeon said to his brethren, Behold the man of dreams is coming unto us this day, and now therefore come and let us kill him and cast him in one of the pits that are in the wilderness, and when his father shall seek him from us, we will say an evil beast has devoured him.
26 And Reuben heard the words of his brethren concerning Yoseph, and he said unto them, You should not do this thing, for how can we look up to our father Yacob? Cast him into this pit to die there, but stretch not forth a hand upon him to spill his blood; and Reuben said this in order to deliver him from their hand, to bring him back to his father.
27 And when Yoseph came to his brethren he sat before them, and they rose upon him and seized him and smote him to the earth, and stripped the coat of many colors which he had on.
28 And they took him and cast him into a pit, and in the pit there was no water, but serpents and scorpions. And Yoseph was afraid of the serpents and scorpions that were in the pit. And Yoseph cried out with a loud voice, and YAHWEH hid the serpents and scorpions in the sides of the pit, and they did no harm unto Yoseph.
29 And Yoseph called out from the pit to his brethren, and said unto them, What have I done unto you, and in what have I sinned? why do you not fear YAHWEH concerning me? am I not of your bones and flesh, and is not Yacob your father, my father? why do you do this thing unto me this day, and how will you be able to look up to our father Yacob?
30 And he continued to cry out and call unto his brethren from the pit, and he said, O Yahudah, Simeon, and Levi, my brethren, lift me up from the place of darkness in which you have placed me, and come this day to have compassion on me, ye children of YAHWEH, and sons of Yacob my father. And if I have sinned unto you, are you not the sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Yacob? if they saw an orphan they had compassion over him, or one that was hungry, they gave him bread to eat, or one that was thirsty, they gave him water to drink, or one that was naked, they covered him with garments!
31 And how then will you withhold your pity from your brother, for I am of your flesh and bones, and if I have sinned unto you, surely you will do this on account of my father!
32 And Yoseph spoke these words from the pit, and his brethren could not listen to him, nor incline their ears to the words of Yoseph, and Yoseph was crying and weeping in the pit.
33 And Yoseph said, O that my father knew, this day, the act which my brothers have done unto me, and the words which they have this day spoken unto me.
34 And all his brethren heard his cries and weeping in the pit, and his brethren went and removed themselves from the pit, so that they might not hear the cries of Yoseph and his weeping in the pit.