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 when, upon his calling to him, he made no answer,
he was afraid that they had destroyed him after he was gone; of
which he complained to his brethren; but when they had told him
what they had done, Reubel left off his mourning.