۞ Certainly in Yusuf and his brothers there are signs for the inquirers. 7 When they said: Verily Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than we are, many though we be. Lo! our father is in plain aberration. 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 Said one of them: "Slay not Joseph, but if ye must do something, throw him down to the bottom of the well: he will be picked up by some caravan of travellers." 10 Then they asked their father, "Why do you not trust us with Joseph? We are his 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 He said: Surely it grieves me that you should take him off, and I fear lest the wolf devour him while you are heedless of 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 a well. Then We revealed to him Our will, "You shall [one day] tell them of this deed of theirs, when they do not realize who you are." 15 And they came to their father in the evening, and they were weeping. 16 They said, 'Father, we went running races, and left Joseph behind with our things; so the wolf ate him. But thou wouldst never believe us, though we spoke truly.' 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 Thereafter travelers came, and sent their waterman. And when he had let down his pail, (he cried:) 'Rejoice, a boy' Then they concealed him among their merchandise, but Allah knew what they did. 19 Then, they sold him for a trifling price, a number of dirhams, because they considered him to be of little value. 20