Genesis 37:18-28

181When they saw him from a distance, and before he came closer to them, they 2plotted against him to put him to death. 19They said to one another, “3Here comes this dreamer! 20Now then, come and let’s kill him, and throw him into one of the pits; and 4we will say, ‘A vicious animal devoured him.’ Then we will see what will become of his dreams!” 21But 5Reuben heard this and rescued him out of their hands 6by saying, “Let’s not 7take his life.” 22Then Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”--so that later he might rescue him out of their hands, to return him to his father. 23So it came about, when Joseph 8reached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the 9multicolored tunic that was on him; 24and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, without any water in it.

25Then they sat down to eat 10a meal. But as they raised their eyes and looked, behold, a caravan of 11Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels carrying 12labdanum resin, 13balsam, and 14myrrh, 15on their way to bring them down to Egypt. 26And Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it for us to kill our brother and 16cover up his blood? 2717Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28Then some 18Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him out and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and 19sold 20him to the Ishmaelites for 21twenty shekels of silver. So 22they brought Joseph into Egypt.