۞ (In Joseph and his brethren were signs for those who ask questions.) 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 "Slay ye Joseph or cast him out to some (unknown) land, that so the favour of your father may be given to you alone: (there will be time enough) for you to be righteous after that!" 9 A speaker among them said, “Do not kill Yusuf – and drop him into a dark well so that some traveller may come and take him away, if you have to.” 10 After so deciding they said to their father: "Why is it that you do not trust us regarding Joseph although we are his true well-wishers?" 11 Send him with us tomorrow to play with us and enjoy himself. We shall carefully protect 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: If the wolf should devour him when we are (so strong) a band, then surely we should have already perished. 14 So when they went away with Joseph and decided to cast him in the bottom of the dark pit, We revealed to Joseph: "Surely a time will come when you will remind them of their deed. They know nothing about the consequence of what they are doing." 15 And at nightfall they came to their father, weeping, 16 They said: "O our father! We went racing with one another, and left Joseph with our things; and the wolf devoured him.... But thou wilt never believe us even though we tell the truth." 17 And they brought his shirt with false blood upon it. He said: Nay, your souls have made the matter light for you, but patience is good and Allah is He Whose help is sought for against what you describe. 18 And there came travellers and they sent their water-drawer and he let down his bucket. He said: O good news! this is a youth; and they concealed him as an article of merchandise, and Allah knew what they did. 19 In selling him they asked for a very small price and even then no one wanted to buy him. 20