29When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. 30He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?”

31Then they got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32They took the ornamented robe back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.”

33He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”

34Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. 35All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “in mourning will I go down to the grave^c to my son.” So his father wept for him.

36Meanwhile, the Midianites^d sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.