He said to them, Hear, I pray you, my dream: 7. We seemed to be binding sheaves in the field, and my sheaf arose and stood upright, and yours stood around, and did homage to mine. 8. Then his brothers said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? So they hated him still the more, for his dreams and his sayings.

9. He had another dream, which he told his father and brothers, saying, In my dream, I saw the sun, moon, and eleven stars, do me homage. 10. But his father rebuked him, saying, What means this dream? Shall I, and thy mother, and thy brothers, indeed, come to bow before thee! 11. His brothers were jealous of him, but his father remarked the matter.

12. His brothers went to feed their father's flock in Sechem. 13. Now Israel said to Joseph, Thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem; I will send thee to them. And he replied, I will And he replied, I will go. 14. Then he said, Go, and see if they and the flock are well; and return to tell me. So he went from the vale of Hebron to Shechem. 15. And a certain man found him wandering in the field, and asked him, What seekest thou? 16. He replied, I seek my brothers: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks. 17. And the man said, They are gone from thence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. So he went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.

18. But as soon as they saw him, before he came near them, they conspired against him; 19. And said to each other, Behold this dreamer cometh, 20. Let us now slay him, and cast him into some pit; and say, Some savage beast hath devoured him, that we may see what will become of his dreams. 21. But Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hands, saying, Let us not kill him: 22. Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit, in the wilderness. This he said that he might deliver

him out of their hands, and bring him to his father again.

23. So when he came to his brethren they stript him of his coat of many colours, 24. And cast him into a pit, but it was empty, being without water.

25. And having sat down to meat they beheld a company of Ishmaelites, who came from Gilead with camels bearing spicery, balm and myrrh, carrying it to Egypt. 26. Then Judah said to his brethren, What will it profit us to slay our brother, and conceal his blood? 27. Let us not kill him, because he is our brother and our flesh; but let us sell him to the Ishmaelites; and they agreed. 28. So they drew him out of the pit, and sold him to the (Midianitish) Ishmaelites, for twenty shekels (i. e. about 11. 2s.) of silver; and they carried Jo. seph into Egypt.

29. Reuben returning to the pit, and not finding him, rent his clothes. 30. And returning to his brethren, he said, The lad is not to be found! What shall I do? 31. Then they killed a kid, and dipt Joseph's coat in its blood; 32. And sent it to their father, saying to him, This we found; discern if it be thy son's coat. 33. He knew it, and said, Joseph is doubtless torn in pieces; some beast of prey hath devoured him. 34. Then Jacob rent his cloaths, put on sackcloth, and mourned for his son, many days. 35. Then all his sons, and daughters, endeavoured to comfort him; but he would not, saying, I will go to the grave mourning for my son. Thus his father bewailed him.

36. The Midianites sold him in Egypt, to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.

CHAP. XXXVIII.

Ar that time, Judah went from his brethren, to an Adulamite, named Hirah; 2. And saw there a daughter of a Canaanite, called Shuah, whom he

took for a wife. 3. And she had a son, whom he called Er; 4. And another, whom he called Onan; 5. And a third, called Shelah, His father was at

Chezib when he was born,

6. Judah chused a wife for Er his oldest son, called Tamar. 7. But Er was very wicked before the Eternal, and he slew him, 8. Then Judah said to Onan, Do a kinsman's duty to thy brother's wife; marry her, and produce an heir to him. 9. But Onan, knowing that the first-born should not be his, but his brother's heir, having his name, he avoided producing him an heir. 10. But his wickedness displeased the Eternal, and he slew him also.

11. Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law, Continue a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah, my son, be grown (but perhaps he will die also, as his brothers did). So she went and dwelt at her father's house,

13.

12. After some time, Shuah's daughter, Judah's wife, died. And after Judah's time of mourning was ended, he went to his sheep-shearers at Timnah, with his friend Hirah, the Adulamite. And it was told Tamar, that her father-in-law was going to Timnah, to shear his sheep. 14. Then she put off the widow's garments, and covering herself with a vail, wrapped up herself, and sat in the open way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him for a wife.

15. Judah seeing her, thought she was a strumpet, because she covered her face; 16. And speak, ing to her, [she demanded her hire], for he knew not she was his daughter-in-law. 17. Then he said, I will send thee a kid; but she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge until thou send it? 18. He replied, What shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet and thy bracelets, and thy staff. So he gave her them. 19. And she went away, and put off her vail, and put on the garments of her widow-hood.

20. But having sent the kid with his friend the Adulamite, to receive the pledge, he found her not. 21. Then he asked the men of the place, concerning the strumpet, who sat openly by the way side; but they said, There was no strumpet in the place, 22. Then he returned, and told Judah he could not find her; and the men of the place said, There was no strumpet there. 23. Then Judah. said, Let her keep them, lest we come to shame.

24. And about three months after, it was told Judah, that Tamar, his daughter-in-law, had misbehaved, and was pregnant by whoredom. Then he said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt. 25.. When she was brought forth, she sent to her fatherin-law, saying, Discern whose are these bracelets, and staff, and signet; for by the same I became pregnant. 26, Then Judah acknowledged them,. saying, She hath been less guilty than I, because that I gave her not to Shelah my son,

[27. She was pregnant with twins. 28. And the mid-wife bound a scarlet thread about the one's hand that appeared first. 29. But the other got before him; and she said, How hast thou broken forth? therefore she called him Pharez; 30. And she called the other Zarah, because of the scarlet].

CHAP. XXXIX.

JOSEPH'S HISTORY RESUMED.

JOSEPH was brought to Egypt, and sold to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and captain of the guard.

2. And the Eternal was with Joseph, and made him successful in all he did in his master's house: 3. And his master observed, that the Eternal was with him, and made all he did to prosper.

4. So Joseph obtained his favour while he serv ed him, and he made him overseer of his house, and put all he had under his authority and care.

5. From this time the Eternal blessed the Egyptian's house, with all he had in it, and in the field. 6. And he committed all he had to Joseph's care and authority, and minded nothing he had, except Joseph had a good stature, and

the bread he ate. a good aspect. 7. After this, his master's wife (Zuleika) looking upon him, solicited him to tamper with her. 8. But he refused, saying, My master hath committed all he hath to my care; 9. There is none in his house greater than I: he hath kept nothing from me but thee, because thou art his wife; how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? 10. And though she solicited him daily, he consented not to her.

11. But on a certain day, when Joseph was in the house doing his business, there being no other man in it, 12. She got hold of him by his garment: but he left it in her hand, and fled out of the house. 13. And seeing his virtue was invincible, 14. She called the men of the house, and said to them, He hath brought in an Hebrew servant to insult us; he came in to me to seduce me; and when I cried aloud, 15. He left his garment with me, and fled out of the house. 16. And she kept his garment till his master came home; 17, 18. And spake to him in the same manner.

19. Then his wrath was kindled against Joseph: 20. And he put him into the pit in the inner prison, where the king's prisoners were bound.

21. But the Eternal was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, by giving him the favour of the keeper of the prison, 22. Who committed to his care all the prisoners, and all things were done according to his order. 23. The keeper minded nothing that was under his care, because the Eternal was with him, and made all he did to prosper.