²⁰Come, let us kill him, and cast him into some old pit: and we will say: Some evil beast hath devoured him: and then it shall appear what his dreams avail him:

²¹And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and said:

²²Do not take away his life, nor shed his blood: but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless: now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands and to restore him to his father.

²³And as soon as he came to his brethren, they forthwith stript him of his outside coat, that was of divers colours:

²⁴And cast him into an old pit where there was not water.

²⁵And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ismaelites on their way coming from Galaad, with their camels, carrying spices, and balm, and myrrh to Egypt.

²⁶And Juda said to his brethren: What will it profit us to kill our brother, and conceal his blood?

²⁷It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our hands be not defiled: for he is our brother and our flesh. His brethren agreed to his words.

²⁸And when the Madianite merchants passed by, they drew him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ismaelites, for twenty pieces of silver: and they led him into Egypt.

²⁹And Ruben returning to the pit, found not the boy:

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