۞ Verily in Joseph and his brethren are signs (of Allah's Sovereignty) for the inquiring. 7 They said: 'Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than ourselves, even though we are many. Truly, our father is obviously wrong. 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 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 They said: O our father! Why wilt thou not trust us with Joseph, when lo! we are good friends to him? 11 Send him with us tomorrow to frolic and play. We will look after him' 12 [Jacob] answered: "Behold, it grieves me indeed [to think] that you might take him with you, for I dread lest the wolf devour him at a moment when you are heedless of him!" 13 They replied: "If a wolf should devour him when we are there, a well-knit band, we shall certainly be treacherous." 14 When they went with him, they agreed to put him in the bottom of a well. We revealed to him: 'You shall tell them of what they did when they are not aware (it is you)' 15 And they came to their father in the early part of the night weeping. 16 They said: our father! we went off competing, and left Yusuf by our stuff, so a wolf devoured him; and thou wilt put no credence in us, even though we are the truth-tellers. 17 And they brought his shirt stained with faked blood; he said, “On the contrary – your hearts have fabricated an excuse for you; therefore patience is better; and from Allah only I seek help against the matters that you relate.” 18 A caravan happened to pass, and sent the water-carrier to bring water from the well. He let down his bucket (and pulled Joseph up with it). "What luck," said the man; "here is a boy;" and they hid him as an item of merchandise; but what they did was known to God. 19 And they sold him for a reduced price - a few dirhams - and they were, concerning him, of those content with little. 20