۞ In the story of Joseph and his brothers are lessons for those who inquire. 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 Therefore, let us put Joseph to death or cast him away to some [far-off] land, so that our father's attention should turn only to us, and you can thereafter become a righteous people." 9 Said a speaker among them, "Do not kill Joseph but throw him into the bottom of the well; some travelers will pick him up - if you would do [something]." 10 They said: O our father! Why wilt thou not trust us with Joseph, when lo! we are good friends to him? 11 Send him with us tomorrow that he may enjoy himself and play. And lo! we shall take good care of him. 12 He said: verily it grieveth me that ye should take him away, and I fear lest a wolf may devour him while ye are negligent 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, and resolved to place him in the bottom of the well, We revealed unto him: surely thou wilt declare unto them this their affair, while they shall perceive not. 15 In the evening they returned to their father weeping 16 They said: our father! we went off competing, and left Yusuf by our stuff, so a wolf devoured him; and thou wilt put no credence in us, even though we are the truth-tellers. 17 They showed him the shirt with false blood on it. (Their father) said: "It is not so; you have made up the story. Yet endurance is best. I seek the help of God alone for what you impute." 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 In selling him they asked for a very small price and even then no one wanted to buy him. 20