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27 Come, let us sell him to these Ishmaelites, instead of doing away with him ourselves. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed.

28 Midianite traders passed by, and they pulled Joseph up out of the cistern. They sold Joseph for twenty pieces of silver[a] to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.(A) 29 When Reuben went back to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not in it, he tore his garments,[b]

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Footnotes

  1. 37:28 They sold Joseph…silver: editors tried to solve the confusion, created by different sources, by supposing that it was the Midianite traders who pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him to Ishmaelites. In all probability, one source had the brothers selling Joseph to Ishmaelites, whereas the other had them cast him into the pit whence he was taken by Midianite traders.
  2. 37:29 Tore his garments: the traditional sign of mourning in the ancient Near East.