Jacob had 12 sons, of whom Reuben was the oldest; Joseph and Benjamin, the sons of Rachel, were the youngest. Joseph was feeding the flocks with his brothers, and he brought evil report of them unto their father. Now, Jacob loved him more than his other sons, and he made him a long garment. The brothers who saw this hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers: We were binding sheaves in the field, and your sheaves bowed down to my sheaf. And he dreamed another dream and told it: The sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me. Then his brothers said to him: Shalt thou indeed reign over us? And they hated him yet more. And his father rebuked him and said: What is this dream, thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brothers come to bow down ourselves to thee? But his father kept the saying in his mind. Once, when the other sons were feeding the flocks in Shechem, Jacob said to Joseph: Go now, see whether it is well with thy brothers and the flock. And Joseph went. When they saw him afar off, they said: Behold, this dreamer cometh, let us slay him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams. But Reuben, who wished to deliver him, said: Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit. And Joseph came to his brothers, and they stripped him of his coat and cast him into the pit, which was empty. And they sat down to eat; and some merchants came with their camels bearing spices and balsam to Egypt. Judah said: Let us sell him to these merchants, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother. And they sold him for 20 pieces of silver. Reuben had meanwhile been away. When he returned to the pit, and Joseph was not there, he went to his brothers and said: The child is not there, and I, whither shall I go? They then killed a he-goat and dipped the coat in the blood, and sent it to their father and said: This have we found; know now whether it is thy son’s coat? And he knew it and said: It is my son’s coat; an evil beast has devoured him. And he mourned for his son many days, wept and would not be comforted. (Gen. 37.) 19. Joseph is Thrown Into Prison The merchants brought Joseph to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, the captain of the life-guard of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. God was with Joseph and made him to prosper, and Potiphar made him overseer over his house. Potiphar’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph to seduce him; but Joseph answered: How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? She then accused him to her husband, saying: This stranger tried to seduce me. Potiphar believed his wife, and cast Joseph into prison. God was with Joseph and gave him favor with the keeper of the prison, and he set him over the other prisoners. (Gen. 39.) 20. Joseph Interprets Dreams