۞ In the story of Joseph and his brothers, there is evidence (of the truth) for those who seek to know. 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 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 Thereupon one of them said: "Do not kill Joseph, but if you are bent upon doing something, cast him down to the bottom of some dark pit, perhaps some caravan passing by will take him out of it." 10 They said: O our father! what reason have you that you do not trust in us with respect to Yusuf? And most surely we are his sincere well-wishers: 11 "Send him with us tomorrow to enjoy himself and play, and verily, we will take care of 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 They said: "If a wolf devours him, while we are 'Usbah (a strong group) (to guard him), then surely, we are the losers." 14 So they did take him away, and they all agreed to throw him down to the bottom of the well: and We put into his heart (this Message): 'Of a surety thou shalt (one day) tell them the truth of this their affair while they know (thee) not' 15 At nightfall they came to their father 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 upon his shirt false blood. [Jacob] said, "Rather, your souls have enticed you to something, so patience is most fitting. And Allah is the one sought for help against that which 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