اقتُلوا يوسُفَ أَوِ اطرَحوهُ أَرضًا يَخلُ لَكُم وَجهُ أَبيكُم وَتَكونوا مِن بَعدِهِ قَومًا صالِحينَ

“Kill Joseph, or throw him out to a distant land, so that your father’s attention will be exclusively yours. After which, you can be people of righteousness.”

قالَ قائِلٌ مِنهُم لا تَقتُلوا يوسُفَ وَأَلقوهُ في غَيابَتِ الجُبِّ يَلتَقِطهُ بَعضُ السَّيّارَةِ إِن كُنتُم فاعِلينَ

One of them suggested, “Don’t kill Joseph, but if you are committed to doing something, throw him into the bottom of a well. Some passing caravan may pick him up.”

قالوا يا أَبانا ما لَكَ لا تَأمَنّا عَلىٰ يوسُفَ وَإِنّا لَهُ لَناصِحونَ

They said, “O our father, why don’t you trust us with Joseph, while we are truly his well-wishers?

أَرسِلهُ مَعَنا غَدًا يَرتَع وَيَلعَب وَإِنّا لَهُ لَحافِظونَ

Let him join us tomorrow for play and fun. We will surely protect him.”

قالَ إِنّي لَيَحزُنُني أَن تَذهَبوا بِهِ وَأَخافُ أَن يَأكُلَهُ الذِّئبُ وَأَنتُم عَنهُ غافِلونَ

He replied, “It saddens me that you should take him away. I fear a wolf might devour him while you’re negligent of him.”

فَلَمّا ذَهَبوا بِهِ وَأَجمَعوا أَن يَجعَلوهُ في غَيابَتِ الجُبِّ ۚ وَأَوحَينا إِلَيهِ لَتُنَبِّئَنَّهُم بِأَمرِهِم هـٰذا وَهُم لا يَشعُرونَ

So, when they took him and agreed to put him into the bottom of the well, We inspired him: “You will inform them of this deed of theirs when they don’t realize.”

وَجاءوا أَباهُم عِشاءً يَبكونَ

And they came to their father at night, crying.

قالوا يا أَبانا إِنّا ذَهَبنا نَستَبِقُ وَتَرَكنا يوسُفَ عِندَ مَتاعِنا فَأَكَلَهُ الذِّئبُ ۖ وَما أَنتَ بِمُؤمِنٍ لَنا وَلَو كُنّا صادِقينَ

They said, “O our father, we were racing each other and left Joseph with our belongings, and a wolf ate him. But you won’t believe us, even if we are truthful.”

وَجاءوا عَلىٰ قَميصِهِ بِدَمٍ كَذِبٍ ۚ قالَ بَل سَوَّلَت لَكُم أَنفُسُكُم أَمرًا ۖ فَصَبرٌ جَميلٌ ۖ وَاللَّهُ المُستَعانُ عَلىٰ ما تَصِفونَ

And they presented his shirt, stained with false blood. He said, “Rather, your souls lured you into something. Yet patience is beautiful. May God’s help be sought against what you claim.”

وَجاءَت سَيّارَةٌ فَأَرسَلوا وارِدَهُم فَأَدلىٰ دَلوَهُ ۖ قالَ يا بُشرىٰ هـٰذا غُلامٌ ۚ وَأَسَرّوهُ بِضاعَةً ۚ وَاللَّهُ عَليمٌ بِما يَعمَلونَ

A passing caravan arrived, and they sent their water drawer. He lowered his bucket and said, “Oh, good news! Here is a boy!” And they concealed him as merchandise, but God knew well what they did.