4. When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved Joseph more than he loved them, they hated their brother because of this. They refused to say nice things to him.
5. One time Joseph had a special dream. Later, he told his brothers about this dream, and after that his brothers hated him even more.
6. Joseph said, “I had a dream.
7. We were all working in the field, tying stacks of wheat together. Then my stack got up. It stood there while all of your stacks of wheat made a circle around mine and bowed down to it.”
8. His brothers said, “Do you think this means that you will be a king and rule over us?” His brothers hated Joseph more now because of the dreams he had about them.
9. Then Joseph had another dream, and he told his brothers about it. He said, “I had another dream. I saw the sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowing down to me.”
10. Joseph also told his father about this dream, but his father criticized him. His father said, “What kind of dream is this? Do you believe that your mother, your brothers, and I will bow down to you?”
11. Joseph’s brothers continued to be jealous of him, but his father thought about all these things and wondered what they could mean.
12. One day Joseph’s brothers went to Shechem to care for their father’s sheep.
13. Jacob said to Joseph, “Go to Shechem. Your brothers are there with my sheep.” Joseph answered, “I will go.”
14. His father said, “Go and see if your brothers are safe. Come back and tell me if my sheep are all fine.” So Joseph’s father sent him from the Valley of Hebron to Shechem.