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

²¹ Then they said to each other, “Obviously, we are being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw his deep distress when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this trouble has come to us.”^(A)

²² But Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to harm the boy?^(B) But you wouldn’t listen. Now we must account for his blood!” ^[a]