۞ Verily in Joseph and his brethren are signs (of Allah's Sovereignty) for the inquiring. 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 "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 One of them said: 'No, do not kill Joseph, if you do anything, cast him into a dark pit, a traveler will 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 that he may enjoy himself and play. And lo! we shall take good care of him. 12 He [Ya'qub (Jacob)] said: "Truly, it saddens me that you should take him away. I fear lest a wolf should devour him, while you are careless of him." 13 They said, "Surely, if the wolf devoured him while we were a strong party, we should indeed be great 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 They said, "O our father, indeed we went racing each other and left Joseph with our possessions, and a wolf ate him. But you would not believe us, even if we were truthful." 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 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 the brothers sold him for an improper price, a limited number of coins; and they had no interest in him. 20