One day Jacob sent Joseph to find his brethren, for he wanted to know if they were well. They were many miles away caring for the sheep.
When they saw Joseph coming, these wicked brothers said one to another, "Behold, this dreamer cometh. Let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him; and we shall see what will become of his dreams."
But Reuben would not consent to have Joseph killed, so they took off his beautiful coat, and cast him alive into a pit. Soon a company of Ishmaelites came along on their way to Egypt. Then the brothers drew him out of the pit and sold him to be a slave.
After Joseph was gone, the brothers began to think of their father, and what they should tell him. Then to hide their sin they did another wicked thing. They killed a young goat and put its blood all over Joseph's coat, so it would look as though some wild beast had slain him.