« | Genesis 37 | » |
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 seventeen 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 after Jacob was very old. Jacob had given Joseph a fancy coat
4 to show that he 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 in front of you?"
11 Joseph's brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept wondering about the dream.
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 dry 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 twenty 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.
The Contemporary English Version (CEV)
The Contemporary English Version (CEV) is a modern Bible translation that aims to make the scriptures accessible and understandable to a broad audience, including children and those with limited English proficiency. Published by the American Bible Society in 1995, the CEV emphasizes clarity, readability, and ease of comprehension. Unlike more literal translations, the CEV uses a thought-for-thought translation philosophy, which focuses on conveying the original meaning of the text in a way that is clear and straightforward for contemporary readers.
One of the key features of the CEV is its use of everyday language and simple sentence structures. The translators avoided theological jargon and archaic terms, instead opting for language that is commonly used in daily conversation. This makes the CEV particularly well-suited for public reading, educational settings, and outreach programs where the audience might not be familiar with traditional biblical language. The translation strives to communicate the essence of the biblical message without the barriers that complex language can sometimes create.
The CEV also pays special attention to cultural sensitivity and inclusivity. The translators sought to avoid expressions and idioms that might be misunderstood or offensive in different cultural contexts. Additionally, the CEV includes gender-neutral language where appropriate, aiming to make the text more inclusive while still remaining faithful to the original manuscripts. This approach helps ensure that Bible teachings are accessible to a diverse global audience, promoting understanding and acceptance across different cultures and communities.
Despite its strengths, the CEV has faced some criticism from those who prefer more literal translations. Critics argue that the CEV emphasises on simplicity and readability which can sometimes result in a loss of nuance and depth found in the original languages. Some theologians and scholars believe that the thought-for-thought approach may oversimplify complex theological concepts. Nevertheless, the Contemporary English Version remains a valuable resource for many readers, offering a clear and approachable rendition of the Bible that is particularly effective for those new to the scriptures or those seeking a more accessible way to engage with the biblical text.