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Now Israel loved Joseph more, a son of his old age.
He made for him a splendid coat; his brothers were enraged.
They scarce could civil speak to him; there was no peace, it seemed.
And bad relations turned to worse when Joseph had his dreams.

“Behold, we were all binding sheaves; the wheat was harvest brown,
And your sheaves gathered ‘round my sheaf, and all of yours bowed down.”
And then, behold, another dream! The stars, the moon, the sun,
And these bowed down to me as well, yes, each and every one.”

But when he shared these dreams with them, they were that much more jealous
His father even rebuked him, “We too bow down? Do tell us.”
The brothers howled on hearing him, and they would have no part.
His father kept these things in mind, to ponder in his heart.

To Shechem, all the brothers went to tend their father’s herd,
He sent Joseph to check on them and bring him back a word.
So Joseph headed out that day; to Shechem first, he went.
Not there, he found a man who then, to Dothan, Joseph, sent. 

His brothers saw him from afar, conspired to make his end.
They said, “Oh, look! The dreamer comes! Now come, let’s see who bends!”
“We’ll throw his body in a pit and make it so he seems
Torn by wild beasts, and we will see what becomes of his dreams.

When Reuben heard, he intervened; he meant to save his life,
“Let’s leave him in the wilderness, but spare him from the knife.”
When Joseph to his brothers came, they stripped the coat he wore.
It was the many-colored coat, the one they all abhorred.

And so they threw him in a pit, according to their plan,
Then, sitting down to eat a meal, they saw a caravan.
Then Judah said, “What profit here? Why should we make a fuss?
We’ll sell him to these traders here; his blood won’t be on us.”

And so they dragged him from the pit, for 20 shekels, sold;
They would have taken any sum, far less, if truth be told.
When Reuben saw the empty pit, he gasped and tore his clothes,
“The boy is gone! What shall I do, and where am I to go?”

They took the coat and bloodied it and tore it into shreds,
Then showing father Israel, announced his son was dead.
“A wild beast has devoured him.” They hid their true intent.
For none could know that what they’d done was in God’s providence.

Then Jacob tore his garments too, like Joseph’s coat was torn.
He dressed in ash and sackcloth wore; for many days he mourned.
Thus Joseph went down Egypt way, his next years would be hard,
For he was sold to Potiphar, the captain of the guard.

(From Genesis 37)
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