۞ 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 [Said one of them:] "Slay Joseph, or else drive him away to some [faraway] land, so that your father's regard may be for you alone: and after this is done, you will be [free to repent and to live once again as] righteous people!" 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, "O our father, why do you not entrust us with Joseph while indeed, we are to him sincere counselors? 11 Send him with us tomorrow to frolic and play. We will look after him' 12 [Jacob] said, "Indeed, it saddens me that you should take him, and I fear that a wolf would eat him while you are of him unaware." 13 They said: Surely if the wolf should devour him notwithstanding that we are a (strong) company, we should then certainly be losers. 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 night, weeping. 16 [and] said: "O our father! Behold, we went off racing with one another, and left Joseph behind with our things; and thereupon the wolf devoured him! But [we know that] thou wouldst not believe us even though we speak 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 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 reduced price - a few dirhams - and they were, concerning him, of those content with little. 20