Genesis 37:18-35

New International Version

¹⁸ But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.^(A)

¹⁹ “Here comes that dreamer!^(B)” they said to each other. ²⁰ “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns^(C) and say that a ferocious animal^(D) devoured him.^(E) Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”^(F)

²¹ When Reuben^(G) heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said.^{(H) 22} “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern^(I) 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.^(J)

²³ So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe^(K) he was wearing— ²⁴ and they took him and threw him into the cistern.^(L) The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.

²⁵ As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites^(M) coming from Gilead.^(N) Their camels were loaded with spices, balm^(O) and myrrh,^(P) and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.^(Q)

²⁶ Judah^(R) said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?^{(S) 27} Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother,^(T) our own flesh and blood.^(U)” His brothers agreed.

²⁸ So when the Midianite^(V) merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern^(W) and sold^(X) him for twenty shekels^[a] of silver^(Y) to the Ishmaelites,^(Z) who took him to Egypt.^(AA)

²⁹ When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes.^{(AB) 30} He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?”^(AC)

³¹ Then they got Joseph’s robe,^(AD) slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood.^{(AE) 32} They took the ornate robe^(AF) back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.”

³³ He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal^(AG) has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”^(AH)

³⁴ Then Jacob tore his clothes,^(AI) put on sackcloth^(AJ) and mourned for his son many days.^{(AK) 35} All his sons and daughters came to comfort him,^(AL) but he refused to be comforted.^(AM) “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son^(AN) in the grave.^(AO)” So his father wept for him.