1 J acob habitó en la tierra donde había vivido su padre, en la tierra de Canaán.

So Jacob dwelt in the land in which his father had been a stranger and sojourner, in the land of Canaan.

2 É sta es la historia de la familia de Jacob: José tenía diecisiete años y apacentaba las ovejas con sus hermanos; el joven estaba con los hijos de Bilha y con los hijos de Zilpa, mujeres de su padre; e informaba José a su padre de la mala fama de ellos.

This is the history of the descendants of Jacob and this is Jacob’s line. Joseph, when he was seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought to his father a bad report of them.

3 I srael amaba a José más que a todos sus hijos, porque lo había tenido en su vejez; y le hizo una túnica de diversos colores.

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a long tunic with sleeves.

4 A l ver sus hermanos que su padre lo amaba más que a todos ellos, lo aborrecían y no podían hablarle pacíficamente.

But when his brothers saw that their father loved more than all of his brothers, they hated him and could not say, Peace to him or speak peaceably to him.

5 T uvo José un sueño y lo contó a sus hermanos, y ellos llegaron a aborrecerlo más todavía.

Now Joseph had a dream and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him still more.

6 É l les dijo: —Oíd ahora este sueño que he tenido:

And he said to them, Listen now and hear, I pray you, this dream that I have dreamed:

7 e stábamos atando manojos en medio del campo, y mi manojo se levantaba y se quedaba derecho, y vuestros manojos estaban alrededor y se inclinaban ante el mío.

We were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright, and behold, your sheaves stood round about my sheaf and bowed down!

8 E ntonces le respondieron sus hermanos: —¿Reinarás tú sobre nosotros, o dominarás sobre nosotros? Y lo aborrecieron aún más a causa de sus sueños y sus palabras.

His brothers said to him, Shall you indeed reign over us? Or are you going to have us as your subjects and dominate us? And they hated him all the more for his dreams and for what he said.

9 D espués tuvo otro sueño y lo contó a sus hermanos. Les dijo: —He tenido otro sueño. Soñé que el sol, la luna y once estrellas se inclinaban hacia mí.

But Joseph dreamed yet another dream and told it to his brothers. He said, See here, I have dreamed again, and behold, eleven stars the sun and the moon bowed down and did reverence to me!

10 Y lo contó a su padre y a sus hermanos; su padre le reprendió, y le dijo: —¿Qué sueño es éste que tuviste? ¿Acaso vendremos yo, tu madre y tus hermanos a postrarnos en tierra ante ti?

And he told it to his father his brethren. But his father rebuked him and said to him, What is the meaning of this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come to bow down ourselves to the earth and do homage to you?

11 S us hermanos le tenían envidia, pero su padre meditaba en esto.

Joseph’s brothers envied him and were jealous of him, but his father observed the saying and pondered over it.

12 U n día, sus hermanos fueron a apacentar las ovejas de su padre en Siquem.

Joseph’s brothers went to shepherd and feed their father’s flock near Shechem.

13 E ntonces Israel dijo a José: —Tus hermanos apacientan las ovejas en Siquem. Ven, y te enviaré a ellos. —Aquí estoy —respondió él.

Israel said to Joseph, Do not your brothers shepherd my flock at Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them. And he said, Here I am.

14 — Ve ahora, mira cómo están tus hermanos y cómo están las ovejas, y tráeme la noticia —dijo Israel. Lo envió, pues, desde el valle del Hebrón, y José llegó a Siquem.

And said to him, Go, I pray you, see whether everything is all right with your brothers and with the flock; then come back and bring me word. So he sent him out of the Hebron Valley, and he came to Shechem.

15 L o halló un hombre, andando él errante por el campo; y aquel hombre le preguntó: —¿Qué buscas?

And a certain man found him, and behold, he had lost his way and was wandering in the open country. The man asked him, What are you trying to find?

16 — Busco a mis hermanos; te ruego que me muestres dónde están apacentando —respondió José.

And he said, I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, I pray you, where they are pasturing our flocks.

17 — Ya se han ido de aquí; pero yo les oí decir: “Vamos a Dotán” —dijo el hombre. Entonces José fue tras sus hermanos y los halló en Dotán.

But the man said, they have gone. I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

18 C uando ellos lo vieron de lejos, antes que llegara cerca de ellos conspiraron contra él para matarlo.

And when they saw him far off, even before he came near to them, they conspired to kill him.

19 S e dijeron el uno al otro: —¡Ahí viene el soñador!

And they said one to another, See, here comes this dreamer and master of dreams.

20 A hora pues, venid, matémoslo y echémoslo en una cisterna, y diremos: “Alguna mala bestia lo devoró.” Veremos entonces qué será de sus sueños.

So come on now, let us kill him and throw his body into some pit; then we will say, Some wild and ferocious animal has devoured him; and we shall see what will become of his dreams!

21 C uando Rubén oyó esto, lo libró de sus manos. Dijo: —No lo matemos.

Now Reuben heard it and he delivered him out of their hands by saying, Let us not kill him.

22 Y añadió: —No derraméis sangre; echadlo en esta cisterna que está en el desierto, pero no le pongáis las manos encima. Quiso librarlo así de sus manos y hacerlo volver a su padre.

And Reuben said to them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit or well that is out here in the wilderness and lay no hand on him. He was trying to get Joseph out of their hands in order to rescue him and deliver him again to his father.

23 S ucedió, pues, que cuando llegó José junto a sus hermanos, ellos quitaron a José su túnica —la túnica de colores que llevaba puesta—,

When Joseph had come to his brothers, they stripped him of his long garment which he was wearing;

24 l o agarraron y lo echaron en la cisterna; pero la cisterna estaba vacía, no había en ella agua.

Then they took him and cast him into the pit which was empty; there was no water in it.

25 L uego se sentaron a comer. En esto, al alzar la vista, vieron una compañía de ismaelitas que venía de Galaad, con camellos cargados de aromas, bálsamo y mirra, que llevaban a Egipto.

Then they sat down to eat their lunch. When they looked up, behold, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm (balsam), and myrrh or ladanum, going on their way to carry them down to Egypt.

26 E ntonces Judá dijo a sus hermanos: —¿Qué vamos a ganar con matar a nuestro hermano y ocultar su muerte?

And Judah said to his brothers, What do we gain if we slay our brother and conceal his blood?

27 V enid y vendámoslo a los ismaelitas; pero no le pongamos las manos encima, porque es nuestro hermano, nuestra propia carne. Y sus hermanos convinieron con él.

Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brothers consented.

28 C uando pasaban los mercaderes madianitas, sacaron ellos a José de la cisterna, lo trajeron arriba y lo vendieron a los ismaelitas por veinte piezas de plata. Y estos se llevaron a José a Egipto.

Then as the Midianite merchants were passing by, the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the well. And they sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took Joseph into Egypt.

29 D espués Rubén volvió a la cisterna y, al no hallar dentro a José, rasgó sus vestidos.

Then Reuben returned to the pit; and behold, Joseph was not in the pit, and he rent his clothes.

30 L uego volvió a sus hermanos y dijo: —El joven no aparece; y yo, ¿adónde iré yo?

He rejoined his brothers and said, The boy is not there! And I, where shall I go ?

31 E ntonces tomaron ellos la túnica de José, degollaron un cabrito del rebaño y tiñeron la túnica con la sangre.

Then they took Joseph’s long garment, killed a young goat, and dipped the garment in the blood;

32 E nviaron la túnica de colores a su padre, con este mensaje: «Esto hemos hallado; reconoce ahora si es o no la túnica de tu hijo.»

And they sent the garment to their father, saying, We have found this! Examine and decide whether it is your son’s tunic or not.

33 C uando él la reconoció, dijo: «Es la túnica de mi hijo; alguna mala bestia lo devoró; José ha sido despedazado.»

He said, My son’s long garment! An evil beast has devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.

34 E ntonces Jacob rasgó sus vestidos, se puso ropa áspera sobre su cintura y guardó luto por su hijo durante muchos días.

And Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned many days for his son.

35 S e levantaron todos sus hijos y todas sus hijas para consolarlo, pero él no quiso recibir consuelo, diciendo: «¡Descenderé enlutado junto a mi hijo hasta el seol!» Y lo lloró su padre.

And all his sons and daughters attempted to console him, but he refused to be comforted and said, I will go down to Sheol (the place of the dead) to my son mourning. And his father wept for him.

36 E n Egipto, los madianitas lo vendieron a Potifar, oficial del faraón y capitán de la guardia.

And the Midianites sold in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain and chief executioner of the guard.