^37:21When Reuben heard this, he rescued Joseph⁴⁶ from their hands,⁴⁷ saying,⁴⁸ “Let’s not take his life!”⁴⁹^37:22Reuben continued,⁵⁰ “Don’t shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.”⁵¹ (Reuben said this⁵² so he could rescue Joseph⁵³ from them⁵⁴ and take him back to his father.)

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Footnotes

46 Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
47 From their hands. The instigators of this plot may have been the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah (see v. 2).
48 Heb “and he said.”
49 Heb “we must not strike him down [with respect to] life.”
50 Heb “and Reuben said to them.”
51 The verbs translated shed, throw, and lay sound alike in Hebrew; the repetition of similar sounds draws attention to Reuben’s words.
52 The words “Reuben said this” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
53 Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
54 Heb “from their hands” (cf. v. 21). This expression has been translated as “them” here for stylistic reasons.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said. “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

When Reuben heard this, he tried to save him from them. He said, “Let’s not take his life.” 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.

NLTNew Living Translation

But when Reuben heard of their scheme, he came to Joseph’s rescue. “Let’s not kill him,” he said. “Why should we shed any blood? Let’s just throw him into this empty cistern here in the wilderness. Then he’ll die without our laying a hand on him.” Reuben was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and return him to his father.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And Reuben heard it and delivered him from their hand and said, “We must not take his life.” And Reuben said to them, “You must not shed blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the desert, but do not lay a hand on him”—so that he might rescue him from their hand to return him to his father.

KJV 1900King James Version

And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

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