Genesis 37:20–29

²⁰So now, come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of the pits.^B We can say that a vicious animal ate him. Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!”

²¹When Reuben heard this, he tried to save him from them.^C He said, “Let’s not take his life.”^{g 22}Reuben also said to them, “Don’t shed blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him”—intending to rescue him from them and return him to his father.

²³When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped off Joseph’s robe, the long-sleeved robe that he had on. ²⁴Then they took him and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty, without water.^*

²⁵They sat down to eat a meal,^h and when they looked up, there was a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead.ⁱ Their camels were carrying aromatic gum, balsam, and resin, going down to Egypt.^j

²⁶Judah said to his brothers, “What do we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? ²⁷Come on, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh,” and his brothers agreed. ²⁸When Midianite^k traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took Joseph to Egypt.^l

²⁹When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes.^m