۞ Indeed, in Joseph and his brothers there were signs for those who inquire. 7 They said: "Truly Joseph and his brother are loved more by our father than we: But we are a goodly body! really our father is obviously wandering (in his mind)! 8 Therefore, let us put Joseph to death or cast him away to some [far-off] land, so that our father's attention should turn only to us, and you can thereafter become a righteous people." 9 One of them said, "Do not kill Joseph, but if you must, throw him into a dark well so that perhaps some caravan will take him away." 10 They said: O our father! what reason have you that you do not trust in us with respect to Yusuf? And most surely we are his sincere well-wishers: 11 Send him with us tomorrow, so that he may play and enjoy himself. We will look after him." 12 He said: Lo! in truth it saddens me that ye should take him with you, and I fear less the wolf devour him while ye are heedless of him. 13 They said: If the wolf should devour him when we are (so strong) a band, then surely we should have already perished. 14 When they took Joseph with them, they agreed to throw him into the well. We revealed to Joseph that (sometime) in the future at a time when they would not recognize him, he would remind them of all this. 15 And they came to their father at nightfall, weeping. 16 and saying, "Father, we went playing and left Joseph with our belongings. A wild-beast came and devoured him. We realize that you will not believe us even though we are telling the truth". 17 And they brought his shirt (stained) with blood, a lie. He said: 'No, your souls have tempted you to do something. But come sweet patience! The help of Allah is always there to seek against that which you describe' 18 And a caravan came, and they sent their water-drawer, and he let down his bucket. He said: glad tidings! here is a youth. And they hid him as merchandise. And Allah was the Knower of that which they worked. 19 Then, they sold him for a trifling price, a number of dirhams, because they considered him to be of little value. 20