రుకూ 201

Then, when they presented themselves before Joseph, he drew his brother apart and said, ‘I am your brother, so do not be saddened by their past actions,’

Translation 1260

and, once he had given them their provisions, he placed the drinking-cup in his brother’s pack. A man called out, ‘People of the caravan! You are thieves!’

Translation 1260

and they turned and said, ‘What have you lost?’

Translation 1260

They replied, ‘The king’s drinking-cup is missing,’ and, ‘Whoever returns it will get a camel-load [of grain],’ and, ‘I give you my word.’

Translation 1260

They said, ‘By God! You must know that we did not come to make mischief in your land: we are no thieves.’

Translation 1260

They asked them, ‘And if we find that you are lying, what penalty shall we apply to you?’

Translation 1260

and they answered, ‘The penalty will be [the enslavement of] the person in whose bag the cup is found: this is how we punish wrongdoers.’

Translation 1260

[Joseph] began by searching their bags, then his brother’s, and he pulled it out from his brother’s bag. In this way We devised a plan for Joseph- if God had not willed it so, he could not have detained his brother as a penalty under the king’s law- We raise the rank of whoever We will. Above everyone who has knowledge there is the One who is all knowing

Translation 1260

[His brothers] said, ‘If he is a thief then his brother was a thief before him,’ but Joseph kept his secrets and did not reveal anything to them. He said, ‘You are in a far worse situation. God knows best the truth of what you claim.’

Translation 1260

They said, ‘Mighty governor, he has an elderly father. Take one of us in his place. We can see that you are a very good man.’

Translation 1260

He replied, ‘God forbid that we should take anyone other than the person on whom we found our property: that would be unjust of us.’

Translation 1260