1 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, 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. 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. 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.

5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, 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. 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.

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. 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? 11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

12 And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in 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. 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.

15 And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou? 16 And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks. 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. 18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. 19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. 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. 21 And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. 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.

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; 24 And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and 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. 26 And Judah said unto his brethren, 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. 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.

29 And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. 30 And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?

31 And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat 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. 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. 34 And Jacob rent his clothes, 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. 36 And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, and captain of the guard.

1 Aga Jaakob elas maal, kus ta isa oli võõrana elanud, Kaananimaal.

2 Need on Jaakobi suguvõsa lood: Kui Joosep oli seitsmeteistkümneaastane, siis oli ta ühes oma vendadega pudulojuste karjane; tema oli abilisena oma isa naiste Billa ja Silpa poegade juures. Ja Joosep kandis nende isale ette nende halva kuulsuse.

3 Iisrael armastas Joosepit enam kui kõiki oma poegi, sest ta oli tema vana ea poeg, ja ta tegi temale kirju kuue.

4 Kui ta vennad nägid, et nende isa armastas teda enam kui kõiki tema vendi, siis nad vihkasid teda ega rääkinud temaga avameelselt.

5 Kord nägi Joosep unenäo ja jutustas selle oma vendadele; seejärel hakkasid need teda veel enam vihkama.

6 Ta nimelt ütles neile: „Kuulge ometi seda unenägu, mis ma unes nägin!

7 Jah, vaadake, me olime väljal vihke sidumas, ja ennäe, minu vihk tõusis üles ning jäigi püsti seisma! Aga vaata, teie vihud ümbritsesid seda ja kummardasid minu vihu ees!"

8 Siis ta vennad ütlesid temale: „Kas sina tahad saada meile kuningaks ja hakata meie üle valitsema?" Ja nad vihkasid teda veelgi enam tema unenägude ja kõnede pärast.

9 Ja ta nägi veel teise unenäo, jutustas selle oma vendadele ja ütles: „Vaata, ma nägin veel ühe unenäo, ja ennäe, päike, kuu ja üksteist tähte kummardasid minu ees!"

10 Aga kui ta seda jutustas oma isale ja vendadele, siis ta isa sõitles teda ning ütles temale: „Mis unenägu see küll on, mis sa nägid! Kas mina ja su ema ja vennad tõesti peame tulema ja sinu ees maani kummardama?"

11 Ta vennad said temale kadedaks, aga ta isa pidas meeles selle loo.

12 Kord olid ta vennad läinud Sekemisse oma isa karja hoidma.

13 Ja Iisrael ütles Joosepile: „Eks ole su vennad Sekemis karja hoidmas? Tule, ma läkitan sind nende juurde!" Ja tema vastas: „Siin ma olen!"

14 Siis ta ütles temale: „Mine ometi vaatama, kas su vendade käsi hästi käib ja kas kari on korras, ja too mulle sõna!" Ta läkitas teda Hebroni orust ja ta tuli Sekemisse.

15 Ja üks mees kohtas teda, sest vaata, ta oli väljal eksinud! Ja mees küsis temalt, öeldes: „Mida sa otsid?"

16 Ja tema vastas: „Ma otsin oma vendi. Ütle mulle ometi, kus nad karja hoiavad?"

17 Ja mees ütles: „Nad on siit edasi läinud, sest ma kuulsin neid ütlevat: läki Dotanisse!" Ja Joosep läks järele oma vendadele ning leidis nad Dotanis.

18 Aga nad nägid teda kaugelt ja enne kui ta jõudis nende juurde, võtsid nad õelalt nõuks teda tappa.

19 Nad ütlesid üksteisele: „Näe, sealt tuleb see unenägude sepitseja!

20 Tulgem nüüd, tapkem tema, visakem ta mõnesse kaevu ja öelgem, et kuri elajas sõi tema ära! Siis saame näha, mis ta unenäod tähendavad!"

21 Kui Ruuben seda kuulis, siis ta tahtis teda nende käest päästa ja ütles: „Ärgem võtkem temalt hinge!"

22 Ja Ruuben ütles neile: „Ärge valage verd, visake ta siia kõrbes olevasse kaevu, aga ärge pange oma kätt tema külge!" Sest ta tahtis teda päästa nende käest ja saata tagasi isa juurde.

23 Ja kui Joosep tuli oma vendade juurde, siis kiskusid need Joosepil kuue seljast, kirju kuue, mis tal seljas oli,

24 ja võtsid tema ning viskasid kaevu; aga kaev oli tühi, selles ei olnud vett.

25 Seejärel nad istusid leiba võtma. Ja kui nad oma silmad üles tõstsid ja vaatasid, ennäe, siis tuli ismaeliitide killavoor Gileadist! Nende kaamelid kandsid mitmesugust vaiku, palsamit ja lõhnaainest, ja nad olid sellega teel alla Egiptusesse.

26 Ja Juuda ütles oma vendadele: „Mis kasu sellest on, kui me tapame oma venna ja katame kinni tema vere?

27 Tulge, müüme tema ismaeliitidele, aga meie käed ärgu puudutagu teda, sest ta on meie lihane vend!" Ja ta vennad kuulasid teda.

28 Kui siis Midjani mehed, kaupmehed, mööda läksid, tõmbasid ja võtsid nad Joosepi kaevust välja ja müüsid Joosepi kahekümne hõbetüki eest ismaeliitidele; ja need viisid Joosepi Egiptusesse.

29 Kui Ruuben tuli tagasi kaevu juurde, vaata, siis ei olnud Joosepit enam kaevus! Siis ta käristas oma riided lõhki

30 ja läks tagasi oma vendade juurde ning ütles: „Poissi ei ole enam! Ja mina, kuhu ma nüüd lähen?"

31 Siis nad võtsid Joosepi kuue ja tapsid ühe siku ning kastsid kuue verre.

32 Ja nad saatsid kirju kuue, tulid oma isa juurde ning ütlesid: „Selle me leidsime! Tunnista nüüd, kas see on su poja kuub või mitte?"

33 Ja ta tundis selle ära ning ütles: „See on mu poja kuub! Kuri elajas on ta ära söönud, Joosep on tõesti maha murtud!"

34 Ja Jaakob käristas oma riided lõhki, kinnitas kotiriide niuete ümber ja leinas oma poega kaua aega.

35 Kõik ta pojad ja tütred püüdsid teda trööstida, kuid ta ei lasknud ennast trööstida, vaid ütles: „Ma lähen tõesti leinates oma poja juurde hauda!" Ja tema isa nuttis teda taga.

36 Aga midjanlased müüsid tema Egiptuses Pootifarile, vaarao hoovkondlasele, ta ihukaitse pealikule.