Joseph came on, unsuspicious of danger, and glad that the object of his long search was accomplished; but instead of the expected greeting, he was terrified by the angry and revengeful glances which he met. He was seized and his coat stripped from him. Taunts and threats revealed a deadly purpose. His entreaties were unheeded. He was wholly in the power of those maddened men. Rudely dragging him to a deep pit, they thrust him in, and having made sure that there was no possibility of his escape, they left him there to perish from hunger, while they "sat down to eat bread."

Josef kom nærmere uden at ane nogen fare. Han var glad, fordi han havde nået målet for sin lange rejse, men i stedet for den ventede velkomsthilsen blev han forfærdet over at møde deres vrede, hævngerrige blikke. De greb ham og rev kjortelen af ham. Hån og trusler afslørede deres dødelige planer. Hans bønner blev ikke ænset, Han var helt i disse vanvittige mænds magt. De trak ham brutalt hen til en dyb cisterne og kastede ham i den, og efter at have sikret sig, at han ikke havde nogen mulighed for at undslippe, overlod de ham til at omkomme af sult. "Derpå satte de sig til at holde måltid".