18. When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him.
19. “Here comes the dreamer!” they said.
20. “Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!”
21. But when Reuben heard of their scheme, he came to Joseph’s rescue. “Let’s not kill him,” he said.
22. “Why should we shed any blood? Let’s just throw him into this empty cistern here in the wilderness. Then he’ll die without our laying a hand on him.” Reuben was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and return him to his father.
23. So when Joseph arrived, his brothers ripped off the beautiful robe he was wearing.
24. Then they grabbed him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it.
25. Then, just as they were sitting down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of camels in the distance coming toward them. It was a group of Ishmaelite traders taking a load of gum, balm, and aromatic resin from Gilead down to Egypt.
26. Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother? We’d have to cover up the crime.