۞ Surely, in Joseph and his brothers there are signs for the inquirers. 7 When they said: "Truly, Yusuf (Joseph) and his brother (Benjamin) are loved more by our father than we, but we are 'Usbah (a strong group). Really, our father is in a plain error. 8 "Kill Yusuf (Joseph) or cast him out to some (other) land, so that the favour of your father may be given to you alone, and after that you will be righteous folk (by intending repentance before committing the sin)." 9 One of them said, "Do not kill Joseph, but if you must do something, cast him into the bottom of a well; some of the travellers will pick him up." 10 They said, 'Father, what ails thee, that thou trustest us not with Joseph? Surely we are his sincere well-wishers. 11 Send him out with us tomorrow that he may enjoy himself and play while we will be there, standing guard over him." 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 devoured him while we were a company, we must indeed then be the 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 weeping to their father in the evening. 16 Saying: O our father! We went racing one with another, and left Joseph by our things, and the wolf devoured him, and thou believest not our saying even when we speak the truth. 17 And they brought his shirt stained with false blood. He said: "Nay, but your ownselves have made up a tale. So (for me) patience is most fitting. And it is Allah (Alone) Whose help can be sought against that which you assert." 18 And there came a caravan of travellers; they sent their water-drawer, and he let down his bucket (into the well). He said: "What good news! Here is a boy." So they hid him as merchandise (a slave). And Allah was the All-Knower of what they did. 19 And they sold him for a mean price: a few dirhams numbered and they were in regard to him of the indifferent. 20