۞ Surely, in Joseph 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 [Said one of them:] "Slay Joseph, or else drive him away to some [faraway] land, so that your father's regard may be for you alone: and after this is done, you will be [free to repent and to live once again as] righteous people!" 9 Another of them said: "Do not slay Joseph, but - rather - if you must do something - cast him into the dark depths of this well, [whence] some caravan may pick him up." 10 They said: "O our father! why dost thou not trust us with Joseph,- seeing we are indeed his sincere well-wishers? 11 Send him with us tomorrow to play with us and enjoy himself. We shall carefully protect him". 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 So, when they took him away, they all agreed to throw him down to the bottom of the well, and We inspired in him:"Indeed, you shall (one day) inform them of this their affair, when they know (you) not." 15 And they came to their father at nightfall, 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 with false blood. He said: nay! yourselves have embellished for you an affair; so seemly patience! and Allah is to be implored for help in that which ye ascribe 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 Later they sold him for a paltry sum - just a few dirhams; they did not care to obtain a higher price. 20