۞ Verily in Joseph and his brethren are signs (of Allah's Sovereignty) for the inquiring. 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 (One said): Kill Joseph or cast him to some (other) land, so that your father's favour may be all for you, and (that) ye may afterward be righteous folk. 9 Another of them said: "Do not slay Joseph, but - rather - if you must do something - cast him into the dark depths of this well, [whence] some caravan may pick him up." 10 They said, "O our father, why do you not entrust us with Joseph while indeed, we are to him sincere counselors? 11 Send him out with us tomorrow that he may enjoy himself and play while we will be there, standing guard over him." 12 He said, 'It grieves me that you should go with him, and I fear the wolf may eat him, while you are heedless of him.' 13 They said: 'We are many, if a wolf devours him, then we are losers' 14 So, when they took him out they planned to throw him into an unused well. We revealed to Joseph: "You will tell them (one day) of this deed when they will not apprehend it." 15 In the evening they returned to their father weeping 16 They said, "Father, we went off racing and left Joseph with our belongings, and the wolf devoured him. But you will not believe us, even though we are telling the truth." 17 And they brought Joseph's shirt, stained with false blood. Seeing this their father exclaimed: "Nay (this is not true); rather your evil souls have made it easy for you to commit a heinous act. So I will bear this patiently, and in good grace. It is Allah's help alone that I seek against your fabrication." 18 And there came a caravan – so they sent their water-drawer, he therefore lowered his pail; he said, “What good luck, this is a boy!”; and they hid him as a treasure; and Allah knows what they do. 19 Later they sold him for a paltry sum, a few pieces of silver [dirhams]: So little did they value him. 20