Genesis 37:25- And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
They just sat down to eat like everything was normal. When they saw some men going to sell stuff in Egypt, and this gave them an idea!
Genesis 37:26-27- And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.
They decided to sell their brother into slavery instead of killing him.
Genesis 37:28- Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
So, they sold their brother to the next set of slave-drivers that passed, and sat back down to finish their dinner.
Genesis 37:29-30- And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?
Reuben went back to get Joseph out of the pit and saw that he wasn't there anymore. He ran back to his brothers and told them that Joseph was gone.
You see, Reuben realized something that the other brother's didn't- What would their dad say when Joseph didn't come home? Now they had to figure out a plan.
Genesis 37:31-34- And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no. And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces. And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
The brother's killed one of their flock and then took the coat they ripped off of Joseph and got it all bloody. Then they sent the coat home to their father with someone else and told him that they found the bloody coat and asked if it was Joseph's.
They not only lied, but they didn't even go home to see how their father would react to this lie. Poor Jacob! He was so sad!
Genesis 37:35- And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.
His son's must have realized what they did to their father when they got home, because he was still sad. They tried and tried to comfort him, but they couldn't get him to stop crying.
Now, they were stuck. They couldn't tell him the truth because then he'd know how horrible they were. So, they just sat there and watched him cry.
But, what about Joseph?
Genesis 37:36- And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.
He was sold as a slave to a man in Egypt.
