at his future prosperity, an equal share of which they would naturally
partake while he enjoyed it, since they were to him not strangers, but
the nearest relations, for they might reckon upon what God bestowed upon
Joseph as their own; and that it was fit for them to believe, that the
anger of God would for this cause be more severe upon them, if they slew
him who was judged by God to be worthy of that prosperity which was to
be hoped for; and while, by murdering him, they made it impossible for
God to bestow it upon him.

2. Reubel said these and many other things, and used entreaties to them,
and thereby endeavored to divert them from the murder of their brother.
But when he saw that his discourse had not mollified them at all, and
that they made haste to do the fact, he advised them to alleviate the
wickedness they were going about, in the manner of taking Joseph off;
for as he had exhorted them first, when they were going to revenge
themselves, to be dissuaded from doing it; so, since the sentence
for killing their brother had prevailed, he said that they would not,
however, be so grossly guilty, if they would be persuaded to follow his
present advice, which would include what they were so eager about, but
was not so very bad, but, in the distress they were in, of a lighter
nature. He begged of them, therefore, not to kill their brother with
their own hands, but to cast him into the pit that was hard by, and so
to let him die; by which they would gain so much, that they would not
defile their own hands with his blood. To this the young men readily
agreed; so Reubel took the lad and tied him to a cord, and let him down
gently into the pit, for it had no water at all in it; who, when he
had done this, went his way to seek for such pasturage as was fit for
feeding his flocks.

3. But Judas, being one of Jacob's sons also, seeing some Arabians, of
the posterity of Ismael, carrying spices and Syrian wares out of the
land of Gilead to the Egyptians, after Rubel was gone, advised his
brethren to draw Joseph out of the pit, and sell him to the Arabians;
for if he should die among strangers a great way off, they should be
freed from this barbarous action. This, therefore, was resolved on; so
they drew Joseph up out of the pit, and sold him to the merchants for
twenty pounds [2] He was now seventeen years old. But Reubel, coming in
the night-time to the pit, resolved to save Joseph, without the privity
of his brethren; and