Page:The Story of Joseph and His Brethren.djvu/26

Rh and conceal his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hands be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. Then they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver." Reuben was again absent when Joseph was thus sold as a slave. When he returned he found the pit empty, and rent his clothes, which was a sign of mourning, and showed signs of great distress.

The scene which ensued is deeply affecting. "They took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; and they brought it to their father and said, This we have found; know now whether it be thy son's coat or no? And he knew it, and said. This is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces." Thus cruelly deceived by his own children, and led by them to believe that Joseph had been devoured by some wild beast, Jacob rent his clothes and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days,