Genesis 37:12-22

12One day, Joseph's brothers had taken their father's sheep to eat grass in the fields. This was near Shechem city.

13Jacob said to Joseph, ‘You know that your brothers have taken my sheep to eat grass near Shechem. I want you to go to them.’ Joseph replied, ‘I am ready to go.’

14So Jacob said to Joseph, ‘Go and see if your brothers are well. See if the sheep have enough grass to eat. Then come back and tell me news about them.’ Then Jacob sent Joseph from the Valley of Hebron to go to them.

15When Joseph arrived near Shechem and he was walking in the fields there, a man met him. He asked Joseph, ‘What are you looking for?’

16Joseph replied, ‘I am looking for my brothers. They have taken the sheep to eat grass. Please tell me where they are.’

17The man said, ‘They have moved away from here. I heard them say, “Let us go to Dothan.” ’ So Joseph went to look for his brothers. He found them at Dothan.

18But his brothers recognized Joseph, while he was still far away. Before he had arrived where they were, they decided on a way to kill him.

19They said to each other, ‘Here comes the man who likes to dream!

20We will kill him. We can throw him into one of the dry wells. We can tell people that a wild animal ate him. Then his dreams will never become true!’

21When Reuben heard this, he tried to save Joseph from the other brothers. He said, ‘We should not kill him.

22Do not even get his blood on your hands. Just throw him into this dry well here in the wilderness. But do not attack him.’ Reuben said this to save Joseph, so that his brothers would not kill him. Then later, Reuben could take Joseph back to his father.