Joseph and His Brothers
1 Jacob lived in the land of Canaan, where his father Isaac had lived, 2 and this is the story of his family.
When Jacob's son Joseph was 17 years old, he took care of the sheep with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah. But he was always telling his father all sorts of bad things about his brothers.
3 Jacob loved Joseph more than he did any of his other sons, because Joseph was born when Jacob was very old. Jacob had even given Joseph a fancy coat 4 which showed that Joseph was his favorite son, and so Joseph's brothers hated him and would not be friendly to him.
5 One day, Joseph told his brothers what he had dreamed, and they hated him even more. 6 Joseph said, “Let me tell you about my dream. 7 We were out in the field, tying up bundles of wheat. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles gathered around and bowed down to it.”
8 His brothers asked, “Do you really think you are going to be king and rule over us?” Now they hated Joseph more than ever because of what he had said about his dream.
9 Joseph later had another dream, and he told his brothers, “Listen to what else I dreamed. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowed down to me.”
10 When he told his father about this dream, his father became angry and said, “What's that supposed to mean? Are your mother and I and your brothers all going to come and bow down to you?” 11 Joseph's brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept wondering about the dream.
Joseph Is Sold and Taken to Egypt
12 One day when Joseph's brothers had taken the sheep to a pasture near Shechem, 13 his father Jacob said to him, “I want you to go to your brothers. They are with the sheep near Shechem.”
“Yes, sir,” Joseph answered.
14 His father said, “Go and find out how your brothers and the sheep are doing. Then come back and let me know.” So he sent him from Hebron Valley.
Joseph was near Shechem 15 and wandering through the fields, when a man asked, “What are you looking for?”
16 Joseph answered, “I'm looking for my brothers who are watching the sheep. Can you tell me where they are?”
17 “They're not here anymore,” the man replied. “I overheard them say they were going to Dothan.”
Joseph left and found his brothers in Dothan. 18 But before he got there, they saw him coming and made plans to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Look, here comes the hero of those dreams! 20 Let's kill him and throw him into a pit and say that some wild animal ate him. Then we'll see what happens to those dreams.”
21 Reuben heard this and tried to protect Joseph from them. “Let's not kill him,” he said. 22 “Don't murder him or even harm him. Just throw him into a well out here in the desert.” Reuben planned to rescue Joseph later and take him back to his father.
23 When Joseph came to his brothers, they pulled off his fancy coat 24 and threw him into a dry well.
25 As Joseph's brothers sat down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with all kinds of spices that they were taking to Egypt. 26 So Judah said, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and hide his body? 27 Let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not harm him. After all, he is our brother.” And the others agreed.
28 When the Midianite merchants came by, Joseph's brothers took him out of the well, and for 20 pieces of silver they sold him to the Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt.
29 When Reuben returned to the well and did not find Joseph there, he tore his clothes in sorrow. 30 Then he went back to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”
31 Joseph's brothers killed a goat and dipped Joseph's fancy coat in its blood. 32 After this, they took the coat to their father and said, “We found this! Look at it carefully and see if it belongs to your son.”
33 Jacob knew it was Joseph's coat and said, “It's my son's coat! Joseph has been torn to pieces and eaten by some wild animal.”
34 Jacob mourned for Joseph a long time, and to show his sorrow he tore his clothes and wore sackcloth. 35 All of Jacob's children came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “I will go to my grave, mourning for my son.” So Jacob kept on grieving.
36 Meanwhile, the Midianites had sold Joseph in Egypt to a man named Potiphar, who was the king's official in charge of the palace guard.
1 Bet Jēkabs dzīvoja zemē, kurā viņa tēvs kā svešinieks bija mitis, Kānaāna zemē. 2 Un šis ir stāsts par Jēkaba cilti: Jāzeps septiņpadsmit gadu vecumā bija gans savu brāļu sīklopiem. Viņš bija vēl zēns un bija kopā ar Bilhas un Zilfas, sava tēva sievu, dēliem. Un Jāzeps izstāstīja viņu ļauno slavu tēvam. 3 Bet Israēls mīlēja Jāzepu vairāk nekā visus citus savus dēlus, tāpēc ka tas bija viņa vecumā dzimušais dēls. Un viņš tam taisīja svārkus ar piedurknēm. 4 Un viņa brāļi ievēroja, ka viņu tēvs to mīlēja vairāk nekā viņa brāļus. Un tie to ienīda un nevarēja laipni ar to runāt. 5 Bet Jāzeps sapņoja sapni, un, kad tas to izstāstīja saviem brāļiem, tie ienīda viņu vēl vairāk. 6 Un viņš teica tiem: "Uzklausiet šo sapni, ko es sapņoju. 7 Redzi, mēs sējām kūlīšus tīruma vidū, un mans kūlītis piecēlies stāvēja, bet jūsu apkārtstāvošie kūlīši klanījās līdz zemei mana kūlīša priekšā." 8 Un viņa brāļi sacīja tam: "Vai tiešām tu būsi mūsu ķēniņš? Vai tu valdīdams valdīsi pār mums?" Un viņi turpmāk to ienīda vēl vairāk gan to sapņu, gan to vārdu dēļ. 9 Un vēlāk viņš sapņoja vēl vienu sapni un stāstīja arī to saviem brāļiem: "Redzi, es sapņoju vēl vienu sapni, un, lūk, saule un mēness, un vienpadsmit zvaigznes klanījās manā priekšā." 10 Kad viņš to izstāstīja savam tēvam un saviem brāļiem, tad viņa tēvs to sarāja un sacīja tam: "Ko nozīmē sapnis, kuru tu sapņoji? Vai mums būtu ietin jāiet - man, tavai mātei un taviem brāļiem, lai klanītos tavā priekšā līdz zemei?" 11 Un viņa brāļi to apskauda, bet viņa tēvs šo stāstu paturēja prātā. 12 Reiz, kad viņa brāļi bija aizgājuši ganīt viņu tēva sīklopus Sihemā, 13 Israēls sacīja Jāzepam: "Vai tavi brāļi negana lopus pie Sihemas? Aizej, jo es gribu tevi sūtīt pie viņiem." Un tas viņam atbildēja: "Es klausos." 14 Un viņš tam sacīja: "Aizej taču un apskaties, kā taviem brāļiem un sīklopiem labi klājas, un pavēstī to man." Un viņš to aizsūtīja no Hebronas ielejas, un tas gāja uz Sihemu. 15 Viņu sastapa kāds vīrs, kad viņš, lūk, maldījās pa lauku; un vīrs viņam jautāja: "Ko tu meklē?" 16 Un viņš atbildēja: "Es meklēju savus brāļus, saki man - kur viņi gana?" 17 Un tas cilvēks sacīja: "Viņi no šejienes ir aizgājuši; es dzirdēju viņus sakām: iesim uz Dotanu." Un Jāzeps sekoja saviem brāļiem un atrada tos Dotanā. 18 Kad viņi to iztālēm ieraudzīja un pirms tas viņus bija sasniedzis, viņi sarunājās to nokaut. 19 Un viņi cits citam sacīja: "Lūk, tur nāk tas lielais sapņotājs! 20 Nokausim viņu un iemetīsim to kādā no bedrēm, un sacīsim: plēsīgs zvērs to ir aprijis,- tad mēs gan redzēsim, kas būs ar viņa sapņiem." 21 Kad Rūbens to dzirdēja, tad viņš to izrāva no viņu rokām un sacīja: "Neatņemsim viņam dzīvību." 22 Un Rūbens viņiem sacīja: "Neizlejiet asinis; iemetīsim to šinī bedrē, kas te tuksnesī, bet nepieliksim roku pie viņa." To viņš teica, lai izglābtu viņu no to rokām un atdotu to savam tēvam atpakaļ. 23 Un notika, tiklīdz Jāzeps pienāca pie saviem brāļiem, tie novilka Jāzepam viņa svārkus - šos svārkus ar piedurknēm, kas tam bija mugurā, 24 un sagrāba to un iemeta bedrē; bet bedre bija tukša bez ūdens. 25 Un viņi atsēdās, lai ieturētu azaidu. Bet, paceļot savas acis, viņi ieraudzīja ismaēliešu karavānu tuvojamies no Gileādas. Viņu kamieļi nesa dārgas zāles, balzamu un mirres; un viņi bija ceļā uz Ēģipti. 26 Tad Jūda sacīja saviem brāļiem: "Ko tas mums dod, ka mēs savu brāli nokaujam un viņa asinis izlejam? 27 Iesim, pārdosim to ismaēliešiem, tad mēs savas rokas tam nebūsim pielikuši, jo viņš taču ir mūsu brālis un mūsu miesa." Un viņa brāļi tam paklausīja. 28 Un garām gāja midiāniešu tirgotāji, tad brāļi izvilka un izcēla Jāzepu no bedres ārā un pārdeva Jāzepu ismaēliešiem par divdesmit sudraba seķeļiem, un tie aizveda Jāzepu uz Ēģipti. 29 Kad Rūbens atgriezās pie bedres, Jāzepa vairs nebija bedrē, un viņš saplēsa savas drēbes. 30 Un, atgriezies pie saviem brāļiem, viņš sacīja: "Tā zēna tur vairs nav. Kurp lai es tagad eju?" 31 Un viņi paņēma Jāzepa svārkus, nokāva āzi, iemērca svārkus asinīs 32 un lika aiznest svārkus ar piedurknēm un nogādāt tos viņu tēvam, sacīdami: "Tos mēs esam atraduši; aplūko, vai tie nav tava dēla svārki?" 33 Un viņš tos pazina un sacīja: "Tie ir mana dēla svārki; plēsīgs zvērs ir viņu aprijis; tas Jāzepu ir plosīt saplosījis." 34 Un Jēkabs saplēsa savu apģērbu, lika ap gurniem maisa drēbi un daudz dienu sēroja Jāzepa dēļ. 35 Tad cēlās visi viņa dēli un visas viņa meitas, lai viņu mierinātu, bet viņš negribēja ļaut mierināties un sacīja: "Sērodams es sekošu savam dēlam uz pazemi!" Un viņa tēvs to apraudāja. 36 Bet midiānieši to pārdeva Ēģiptē Potifaram, faraona galma vīram, sardzes priekšniekam.
