1 Jacob lived in the land of his father’s travels, in the land of Canaan. 2 This is the history of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought an evil 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 tunic of many colors. 4 His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn’t speak peaceably to him.

5 Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more. 6 He said to them, "Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: 7 for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and bowed down to my sheaf."

8 His brothers asked him, "Will you indeed reign over us? Will you indeed have dominion over us?" They hated him all the more for his dreams and for his words. 9 He dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, "Behold, I have dreamed yet another dream: and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me." 10 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? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves down to the earth before you?" 11 His brothers envied him, but his father kept this saying in mind.

12 His brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem. 13 Israel said to Joseph, "Aren’t your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them." He said to him, "Here I am."

14 He said to him, "Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers, and well with the flock; and bring me word again." So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 15 A certain man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field. The man asked him, "What are you looking for?"

16 He said, "I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are feeding the flock."

17 The man said, "They have left here, for I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’"

Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan. 18 They saw him afar off, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him. 19 They said to one another, "Behold, this dreamer comes. 20 Come now therefore, and let’s kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, ‘An evil animal has devoured him.’ We will see what will become of his dreams."

21 Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, "Let’s not take his life." 22 Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him"—that he might deliver him out of their hand, to restore him to his father. 23 When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him; 24 and they took him, and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty. There was no water in it.

25 They sat down to eat bread, and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not let our hand be on him; for he is our brother, our flesh." His brothers listened to him. 28 Midianites who were merchants passed by, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The merchants brought Joseph into Egypt.

29 Reuben returned to the pit, and saw that Joseph wasn’t in the pit; and he tore his clothes. 30 He returned to his brothers, and said, "The child is no more; and I, where will I go?" 31 They took Joseph’s tunic, and killed a male goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood. 32 They took the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father, and said, "We have found this. Examine it, now, and see if it is your son’s tunic or not."

33 He recognized it, and said, "It is my son’s tunic. An evil animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces." 34 Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He said, "For I will go down to Sheol to my son, mourning." His father wept for him. 36 The Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the 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.