The Brothers Conspire and Sell Joseph

18

They spotted him in the distance, and before he had arrived where they were, they had already plotted to kill him.

19

They said to each other, "Look, this dreamer is coming!

20

So come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these water cisterns here. Then we'll say some wild animal devoured him. We'll see then what becomes of his dreams!"

21

But when Re'uven heard this, he saved him from being destroyed by them. He said, "We shouldn't take his life.

22

Don't shed blood," Re'uven added. "Throw him into this cistern here in the wilds, but don't lay hands on him yourselves." He intended to rescue him from them later and restore him to his father.

23

So it was that when Yosef arrived to be with his brothers, they stripped off his robe, the long-sleeved robe he was wearing,

24

and took him and threw him into the cistern (the cistern was empty; without any water in it).

25

Then they sat down to eat their meal; but as they looked up, they saw in front of them a caravan of Yishma'elim coming from Gil'ad, their camels loaded with aromatic gum, healing resin and opium, on their way down to Egypt.

26

Y'hudah said to his brothers, "What advantage is it to us if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?

27

Come, let's sell him to the Yishma'elim, instead of putting him to death with our own hands. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh." His brothers paid attention to him.

28

So when the Midyanim, merchants, passed by, they drew and lifted Yosef up out of the cistern and sold him for half a pound of silver shekels to the Yishma'elim, who took Yosef on to Egypt.

29

Re'uven returned to the cistern, and, upon seeing that Yosef wasn't in it, tore his clothes in mourning.

30

He returned to his brothers and said, "The boy isn't there! Where can I go now?"

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