²⁸ When Midianite^(A) traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for 20 pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took Joseph to Egypt.^(B)

²⁹ When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes.^{(C) 30} He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”^{[a] 31} So they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood. ³² They sent the robe of many colors to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it. Is it your son’s robe or not?”

³³ His father recognized it. “It is my son’s robe,” he said. “A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has been torn to pieces!”^{(D) 34} Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days. ³⁵ All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” And his father wept for him.

³⁶ Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard.

⁵ And now don’t be worried or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.^(A)

The Patriarchs in Egypt

⁹ “The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt, but God was with him^(A)