۞ Certainly in Yusuf and his brothers there are signs for the inquirers. 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 Yusuf or cast him forth to some land; your father's countenance will be free for you, and ye shall be thereafter a people favoured. 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 (Then going to their father) they said: "O father, why don't you trust us with Joseph? We are in fact his well-wishers. 11 "Send him with us tomorrow to enjoy himself and play, and we shall take every care of him." 12 Their father answered: "It grieves me indeed that you should take him with you for I fear that some wolf might eat him up while you are negligent of him." 13 They said: Surely if the wolf should devour him notwithstanding that we are a (strong) company, we should then certainly be losers. 14 When they took Joseph with them, they agreed to throw him into the well. We revealed to Joseph that (sometime) in the future at a time when they would not recognize him, he would remind them of all this. 15 And they came to their father in the early part of the night weeping. 16 They said, 'Father, we went running races, and left Joseph behind with our things; so the wolf ate him. But thou wouldst never believe us, though we spoke truly.' 17 They presented him with a shirt stained with false blood. Jacob said, "Your souls have tempted you in this matter. Let us be patient and beg assistance from God if what you say is true." 18 And a caravan came, and they sent their water-drawer, and he let down his bucket. He said: glad tidings! here is a youth. And they hid him as merchandise. And Allah was the Knower of that which they worked. 19 And they sold him for a small price, a few pieces of silver, and they showed no desire for him. 20