۞ Certainly were there in Joseph and his brothers signs for those who ask, 7 When they said: Certainly Yusuf and his brother are dearer to our father than we, though we are a (stronger) company; most surely our father is in manifest error: 8 Kill Joseph or cast him out to [another] land; the countenance of your father will [then] be only for you, and you will be after that 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 (Then going to their father) they said: "O father, why don't you trust us with Joseph? We are in fact his well-wishers. 11 Send him forth with us tomorrow, to frolic and play; surely we shall be watching over him.' 12 He said: verily it grieveth me that ye should take him away, and I fear lest a wolf may devour him while ye are negligent of him. 13 Said they: "Surely, if the wolf were to devour him notwithstanding that we are so many - then, behold, we ought ourselves to perish!" 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 Then they came to their father in the early part of the 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 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 Later they sold him for a paltry sum, a few pieces of silver [dirhams]: So little did they value him. 20