page80
The ladies said: "God preserve us! no evil know we against him!" Said the 'Aziz's wife: "Now is the truth manifest (to
all): it was I who sought to seduce him from his (true) self: He is indeed of those who are (ever) true (and virtuous).
012.052 "This (say I), in order that He may know that I have never been false to him in his absence, and that God will
never guide the snare of the false ones.
012.053 "Nor do I absolve my own self (of blame): the (human) soul is certainly prone to evil, unless my Lord do
bestow His Mercy: but surely my Lord is Oft- forgiving, Most Merciful."
012.054 So the king said: "Bring him unto me; I will take him specially to serve about my own person." Therefore when
he had spoken to him, he said: "Be assured this day, thou art, before our own presence, with rank firmly established,
and fidelity fully proved!
012.055 (Joseph) said: "Set me over the store-houses of the land: I will indeed guard them, as one that knows (their
importance)."
012.056 Thus did We give established power to Joseph in the land, to take possession therein as, when, or where he
pleased. We bestow of our Mercy on whom We please, and We suffer not, to be lost, the reward of those who do good.
012.057 But verily the reward of the Hereafter is the best, for those who believe, and are constant in righteousness.
012.058 Then came Joseph's brethren: they entered his presence, and he knew them, but they knew him not.
012.059 And when he had furnished them forth with provisions (suitable) for them, he said: "Bring unto me a brother
ye have, of the same father as yourselves, (but a different mother): see ye not that I pay out full measure, and that I do
provide the best hospitality?
012.060 "Now if ye bring him not to me, ye shall have no measure (of corn) from me, nor shall ye (even) come near
me."
012.061 They said: "We shall certainly seek to get our wish about him from his father: Indeed we shall do it."
012.062 And (Joseph) told his servants to put their stock-in-trade (with which they had bartered) into their saddle-bags,
so they should know it only when they returned to their people, in order that they might come back.
012.063 Now when they returned to their father, they said: "O our father! No more measure of grain shall we get
(unless we take our brother): So send our brother with us, that we may get our measure; and we will indeed take every
care of him."
012.064 He said: "Shall I trust you with him with any result other than when I trusted you with his brother aforetime?
But God is the best to take care (of him), and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy!"
012.065 Then when they opened their baggage, they found their stock-in-trade had been returned to them. They said:
"O our father! What (more) can we desire? this our stock-in-trade has been returned to us: so we shall get (more) food
for our family; We shall take care of our brother; and add (at the same time) a full camel's load (of grain to our
provisions). This is but a small quantity.
012.066 (Jacob) said: "Never will I send him with you until ye swear a solemn oath to me, in God's name, that ye will
be sure to bring him back to me unless ye are yourselves hemmed in (and made powerless). And when they had sworn
their solemn oath, he said: "Over all that we say, be God the witness and guardian!"
012.067 Further he said: "O my sons! enter not all by one gate: enter ye by different gates. Not that I can profit you
aught against God (with my advice): None can command except God: On Him do I put my trust: and let all that trust
put their trust on Him."
012.068 And when they entered in the manner their father had enjoined, it did not profit them in the least against (the
plan of) God: It was but a necessity of Jacob's soul, which he discharged. For he was, by our instruction, full of
knowledge (and experience): but most men know not.
012.069 Now when they came into Joseph's presence, he received his (full) brother to stay with him. He said (to him):
"Behold! I am thy (own) brother; so grieve not at aught of their doings."
012.070 At length when he had furnished them forth with provisions (suitable) for them, he put the drinking cup into
his brother's saddle-bag. Then shouted out a crier: "O ye (in) the caravan! behold! ye are thieves, without doubt!"
012.071 They said, turning towards them: "What is it that ye miss?"
012.072 They said: "We miss the great beaker of the king; for him who produces it, is (the reward of) a camel load;
I will be bound by it."
012.073 (The brothers) said: "By God! well ye know that we came not to make mischief in the land, and we are no