Genesis 37:12-22

¹²Then his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock in Shechem. ¹³And Israel said to Joseph, “Are your brothers not pasturing the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “I will go.” ¹⁴Then he said to him, “Go now and see about the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

¹⁵A man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, “What are you looking for?” ¹⁶He said, “I am looking for my brothers; please tell me where they are pasturing the flock.” ¹⁷Then the man said, “They have moved from here; for I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

¹⁸When they saw him from a distance, and before he came closer to them, they plotted against him to put him to death. ¹⁹They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer! ²⁰Now then, come and let’s kill him, and throw him into one of the pits; and we will say, ‘A vicious animal devoured him.’ Then we will see what will become of his dreams!” ²¹But Reuben heard this and rescued him out of their hands by saying, “Let’s not take his life.” ²²Then Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—so that later he might rescue him out of their hands, to return him to his father.