Reuben continued, ¹  “Don’t shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” ²  (Reuben said this ³  so he could rescue Joseph ⁴  from them ⁵  and take him back to his father.)

biblegateway Gen 37:22

Reuben further said to them, "Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay hands on him"—that he might rescue him out of their hands, to restore him to his father.

Reuben also said to them, "Don't shed blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but don't lay a hand on him"--intending to rescue him from their hands and return him to his father.

"Let’s not have any bloodshed. Put him into that cistern that’s out in the desert, but don’t hurt him." Reuben wanted to rescue Joseph from them and bring him back to his father.

biblegateway Gen 37:22

"Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the desert, but don’t lay a hand on him." Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.

And Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood; cast him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him"--that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father.

bibleoremus Gen 37:22

Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him" —that he might rescue him out of their hand and restore him to his father.

“Let us have no bloodshed,” he said. “Throw him into this cistern in the wilderness, but do him no injury.” Reuben meant to rescue him from their clutches in order to restore him to his father.

biblegateway Gen 37:22

And Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him" ––that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.

And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, [but] cast him into this pit that [is] in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

biblegateway Gen 37:22

Reuben continued, ¹  “Don’t shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” ²  (Reuben said this ³  so he could rescue Joseph ⁴  from them ⁵  and take him back to his father.)

¹ tn Heb “and Reuben said to them.”

² sn The verbs translated shed, throw, and lay sound alike in Hebrew; the repetition of similar sounds draws attention to Reuben’s words.

³ tn The words “Reuben said this” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁴ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁵ tn Heb “from their hands” (cf. v. 21). This expression has been translated as “them” here for stylistic reasons.