Jacob, Joseph & Egypt

Then he tolde it vnto his father and to his brethren, and his father rebuked him, and saide vnto him, What is this dreame, which thou hast dreamed? shall I, and thy mother, and thy brethren come in deede and fall on the ground before thee?

And his brethren enuied him, but his father noted the saying.

Then his brethren went to keepe their fathers sheepe in Shechem.

And Israel said vnto Ioseph, Doe not thy brethren keepe in Shechem? come and I will send thee to them.

And he answered him, I am here. Then he saide vnto him, Goe now, see whether it bee well with thy brethren, and how the flocks prosper, and bring me word againe. so hee sent him from the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

Then a man found him: for lo, hee was wandring in the fielde, and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?

And he answered, I seeke my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they keepe sheepe.

And the man said, they are departed hece: for I heard them say, Let vs goe vnto Dothan. Then went Ioseph after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.

And when they sawe him a farre off, euen before he came at them, they conspired against him for to slay him.

For they sayd one to another, Behold, this dreamer commeth.

Come now therefore, and let vs slay him, and cast him into some pitte, and wee will say, A wicked beast hath deuoured him: then wee shall see, what will come of his dreames.

But when Reuben heard that, he deliuered him out of their handes, and saide, Let vs not kill him.

Also Reuben saide vnto them, Shed not blood, but cast him into this pitte that is in the wildernesse, and lay no hande vpon him. Thus he said, that he might deliuer him out of their hand, and restore him to his father againe.

Now when Ioseph was come vnto his brethren, they stript Ioseph out of his coate, his particoloured coate that was vpon him.

And they tooke him, and cast him into a pit, and the pit was emptie, without water in it.

Then they sate them downe to eate bread: and they lift vp their eyes and looked, and behold, there came a companie of Ishmeelites from Gilead, and their camels laden with spicerie, and balme, and myrrhe, and were going to cary it downe into Egypt.

Then Iudah said vnto his brethren, What auaileth it, if we slay our brother, though wee keepe his blood secret?

Come and let vs sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our handes be vpon him: for he is our brother and our flesh: and his brethren obeyed.

Then the Midianites marchant men passed by, and they drewe foorth, and lift Ioseph out of the pit, and solde Ioseph vnto the Ishmeelites for twentie pieces of siluer: who brought Ioseph into Egypt.

Afterwarde Reuben returned to the pit, and beholde, Ioseph was not in the pit: then he rent his clothes,

And returned to his brethren, and said, The childe is not yonder, and I, whither shall I goe?

And they tooke Iosephs coate, and killed a kidde of the goates, and dipped the coate in the blood.

So they sent that particoloured coat, and they brought it vnto their father, and saide, This haue we founde: see nowe, whether it be thy sonnes coate, or no.

Then he knewe it and said, It is my sonnes coate: a wicked beast hath deuoured him: Ioseph is surely torne in pieces.

And Iaakob rent his clothes, and put sackecloth about his loynes, and sorowed for his sonne a long season.