Genesis 37:23-36

New King James Version

²³So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they ^(A)stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. ²⁴Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it.

²⁵^(B)And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of ^(C)Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, ^(D)balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt. ²⁶So Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and ^(E)conceal his blood? ²⁷Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and ^(F)let not our hand be upon him, for he is ^(G)our brother and ^(H)our flesh.” And his brothers listened. ²⁸Then ^(I)Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, ^(J)and sold him to the Ishmaelites for ^(K)twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.

²⁹Then Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he ^(L)tore his clothes. ³⁰And he returned to his brothers and said, “The lad ^(M)is no more; and I, where shall I go?”

³¹So they took ^(N)Joseph’s tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. ³²Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, “We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son’s tunic or not?”

³³And he recognized it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A ^(O)wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.” ³⁴Then Jacob ^(P)tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and ^(Q)mourned for his son many days. ³⁵And all his sons and all his daughters ^(R)arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, “For ^(S)I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.” Thus his father wept for him.