۞ Certainly in Yusuf and his brothers there are signs for the inquirers. 7 They said: 'Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than ourselves, even though we are many. Truly, our father is obviously wrong. 8 Kill you Joseph, or cast him forth into some land, that your father's face may be free for you, and thereafter you may be a righteous people.' 9 Thereupon one of them said: "Do not kill Joseph, but if you are bent upon doing something, cast him down to the bottom of some dark pit, perhaps some caravan passing by will take him out of it." 10 They said: "O our father! why dost thou not trust us with Joseph,- seeing we are indeed his sincere well-wishers? 11 Let him go out with us tomorrow, that he may enjoy himself and play: and verily, we shall guard him well!" 12 (Jacob) said: "Really it saddens me that ye should take him away: I fear lest the wolf should devour him while ye attend not to him." 13 They said, 'If the wolf eats him, and we a band, then are we losers!' 14 And so, when they went away with him, they decided to cast him into the dark depths of the well. And We revealed [this] unto him: "Thou wilt yet remind them of this their deed at a time when they shall not perceive [who thou art]!" 15 And they came to their father in the early part of the night weeping. 16 They said:"O our father! We went racing with one another, and left Yusuf (Joseph) by our belongings and a wolf devoured him; but you will never believe us even when we speak the truth." 17 And they brought upon his shirt false blood. [Jacob] said, "Rather, your souls have enticed you to something, so patience is most fitting. And Allah is the one sought for help against that which you describe." 18 And there came a caravan of travellers and they sent their water-drawer to draw water from the well. He let down his bucket into the well and he exclaimed, "Oh, what a lucky find, here is a boy!" They hid him like a piece of merchandise, but God knew well what they did. 19 And they sold him for a small price, a few pieces of silver, and they showed no desire for him. 20