Genesis 37

1 Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided, the land of Canaan.

1 雅各住在迦南地，就是他父親寄居的地。

2 This is the account of Jacob. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was tending the flock with his brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah, and he brought their father a bad report about them.

2 雅各的記略如下。 約瑟十七歲與他哥哥們一同牧羊。他是個童子，與他父親的妾辟拉、悉帕的兒子們常在一處。約瑟將他哥哥們的惡行報給他們的父親。

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors.

3 以色列原來愛約瑟過於愛他的眾子，因為約瑟是他年老生的；他給約瑟做了一件彩衣。

4 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

4 約瑟的哥哥們見父親愛約瑟過於愛他們，就恨約瑟，不與他說和睦的話。

5 Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.

5 約瑟做了一夢，告訴他哥哥們，他們就越發恨他。

6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had:

6 約瑟對他們說：「請聽我所做的夢：

7 We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine.”

7 我們在田裏捆禾稼，我的捆起來站着，你們的捆來圍着我的捆下拜。」

8 “Do you intend to reign over us?” his brothers asked. “Will you actually rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and his statements.

8 他的哥哥們回答說：「難道你真要作我們的王嗎？難道你真要管轄我們嗎？」他們就因為他的夢和他的話越發恨他。

9 Then Joseph had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

9 後來他又做了一夢，也告訴他的哥哥們說：「看哪，我又做了一夢，夢見太陽、月亮，與十一個星向我下拜。」

10 He told his father and brothers, but his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream that you have had? Will your mother and brothers and I actually come and bow down to the ground before you?”

10 約瑟將這夢告訴他父親和他哥哥們，他父親就責備他說：「你做的這是甚麼夢！難道我和你母親、你弟兄果然要來俯伏在地，向你下拜嗎？」

11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said.

11 他哥哥們都嫉妒他，他父親卻把這話存在心裏。

12 Some time later, Joseph’s brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks near Shechem.

12 約瑟的哥哥們往示劍去放他們父親的羊。

13 Israel said to him, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flocks at Shechem? Get ready; I am sending you to them.” “I am ready,” Joseph replied.

13 以色列對約瑟說：「你哥哥們不是在示劍放羊嗎？你來，我要打發你往他們那裏去。」約瑟說：「我在這裏。」

14 Then Israel told him, “Go now and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. And when Joseph arrived in Shechem,

14 以色列說：「你去看看你哥哥們平安不平安，群羊平安不平安，就回來報信給我」；於是打發他出希伯崙谷，他就往示劍去了。

15 a man found him wandering in the field and asked, “What are you looking for?”

15 有人遇見他在田野走迷了路，就問他說：「你找甚麼？」

16 “I am looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Can you please tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?”

16 他說：「我找我的哥哥們，求你告訴我，他們在何處放羊。」

17 “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph set out after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

17 那人說：「他們已經走了，我聽見他們說要往多坍去。」約瑟就去追趕他哥哥們，遇見他們在多坍。

18 Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him.

18 他們遠遠地看見他，趁他還沒有走到跟前，大家就同謀要害死他，

19 “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another.

19 彼此說：「你看！那做夢的來了。

20 “Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!”

20 來吧！我們將他殺了，丟在一個坑裏，就說有惡獸把他吃了。我們且看他的夢將來怎麼樣。」

21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said.

21 呂便聽見了，要救他脫離他們的手，說：「我們不可害他的性命」；

22 “Do not shed his blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands and return him to his father.

22 又說：「不可流他的血，可以把他丟在這野地的坑裏，不可下手害他。」呂便的意思是要救他脫離他們的手，把他歸還他的父親。

23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the robe of many colors he was wearing—

23 約瑟到了他哥哥們那裏，他們就剝了他的外衣，就是他穿的那件彩衣，

24 and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it.

24 把他丟在坑裏；那坑是空的，裏頭沒有水。

25 And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt.

25 他們坐下吃飯，舉目觀看，見有一夥米甸 的以實瑪利人從基列來，用駱駝馱着香料、乳香、沒藥，要帶下埃及去。

26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?

26 猶大對眾弟兄說：「我們殺我們的兄弟，藏了他的血有甚麼益處呢？

27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed.

27 我們不如將他賣給以實瑪利人，不可下手害他；因為他是我們的兄弟，我們的骨肉。」眾弟兄就聽從了他。

28 So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.

28 有些米甸的商人從那裏經過，哥哥們就把約瑟從坑裏拉上來，講定二十舍客勒銀子，把約瑟賣給以實瑪利人。他們就把約瑟帶到埃及去了。

29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,

29 呂便回到坑邊，見約瑟不在坑裏，就撕裂衣服，

30 returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”

30 回到兄弟們那裏，說：「童子沒有了。我往哪裏去才好呢？」

31 Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood.

31 他們宰了一隻公山羊，把約瑟的那件彩衣染了血，

32 They sent the robe of many colors to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe or not.”

32 打發人送到他們的父親那裏，說：「我們撿了這個；請認一認是你兒子的外衣不是？」

33 His father recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”

33 他認得，就說：「這是我兒子的外衣。有惡獸把他吃了，約瑟被撕碎了！撕碎了！」

34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.

34 雅各便撕裂衣服，腰間圍上麻布，為他兒子悲哀了多日。

35 All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him.

35 他的兒女都起來安慰他，他卻不肯受安慰，說：「我必悲哀着下陰間，到我兒子那裏。」約瑟的父親就為他哀哭。

36 Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.

36 米甸人帶約瑟到埃及，把他賣給法老的內臣－護衛長波提乏。