25. As they sat down to eat, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying the materials for cosmetics, medicine, and embalming. They were on their way to take them to Egypt.
26. Judah asked his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother and covering up his death?
27. Let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites. Let’s not hurt him, because he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed.
28. As the Midianite merchants were passing by, the brothers pulled Joseph out of the cistern. They sold him to the Ishmaelites for eight ounces of silver. The Ishmaelites took him to Egypt.
29. When Reuben came back to the cistern and saw that Joseph was no longer there, he tore his clothes in grief.
30. He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! What am I going to do?”
31. So they took Joseph’s robe, killed a goat, and dipped the robe in the blood.
32. Then they brought the special robe with long sleeves to their father and said, “We found this. You better examine it to see whether it’s your son’s robe or not.”
33. He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A wild animal has eaten him! Joseph must have been torn to pieces!”
34. Then, to show his grief, Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son a long time.
35. All his other sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He said, “No, I will mourn for my son until I die.” This is how Joseph’s father cried over him.
36. Meanwhile, in Egypt the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials and captain of the guard.