Genesis 37:20–28

²⁰and now, come, and we slay him, and cast him into one of the pits, and have said, An evil beast hath devoured him; and we see what his dreams are.’ ²¹And Reuben heareth, and delivereth him out of their hand, and saith, ‘Let us not smite the life;’ ²²and Reuben saith unto them, ‘Shed no blood; cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and put not forth a hand upon him,’—in order to deliver him out of their hand, to bring him back unto his father.

²³And it cometh to pass, when Joseph hath come unto his brethren, that they strip Joseph of his coat, the long coat which is upon him, ²⁴and take him and cast him into the pit, and the pit is empty, there is no water in it. ²⁵And they sit down to eat bread, and they lift up their eyes, and look, and lo, a company of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, and their camels bearing spices, and balm, and myrrh, going to take them down to Egypt. ²⁶And Judah saith unto his brethren, ‘What gain when we slay our brother, and have concealed his blood? ²⁷Come, and we sell him to the Ishmaelites, and our hands are not on him, for he is our brother—our flesh;’ and his brethren hearken. ²⁸And Midianite merchantmen pass by and they draw out and bring up Joseph out of the pit, and sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty silverlings, and they bring Joseph into Egypt.