قَالُوْا وَ اَقْبَلُوْا عَلَیْهِمْ مَّا ذَا تَفْقِدُوْنَ۝۷۱

They turned to them and asked: "What is it you have lost?"

قَالُوْا نَفْقِدُ صُوَاعَ الْمَلِكِ وَ لِمَنْ جَآءَ بِهٖ حِمْلُ بَعِیْرٍ وَّ اَنَا بِهٖ زَعِیْمٌ۝۷۲

"We cannot find the master´s goblet. Whoever comes up with it will be given a camel-load of grain; I vouch for it."

قَالُوْا تَاللّٰهِ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمْ مَّا جِئْنَا لِنُفْسِدَ فِی الْاَرْضِ وَ مَا كُنَّا سٰرِقِیْنَ۝۷۳

They said: "We swear by God. You know we did not come to commit any crime in the land, nor are we thieves."

قَالُوْا فَمَا جَزَآؤُهٗۤ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ كٰذِبِیْنَ۝۷۴

"What should be the punishment," they were asked, "in case you are liars?"

قَالُوْا جَزَآؤُهٗ مَنْ وُّجِدَ فِیْ رَحْلِهٖ فَهُوَ جَزَآؤُهٗ ؕ كَذٰلِكَ نَجْزِی الظّٰلِمِیْنَ۝۷۵

"The punishment for that (should be)," they said, "that he in whose luggage it is found should be held as punishment. This is how we repay the wrong-doers."

فَبَدَاَ بِاَوْعِیَتِهِمْ قَبْلَ وِعَآءِ اَخِیْهِ ثُمَّ اسْتَخْرَجَهَا مِنْ وِّعَآءِ اَخِیْهِ ؕ كَذٰلِكَ كِدْنَا لِیُوْسُفَ ؕ مَا كَانَ لِیَاْخُذَ اَخَاهُ فِیْ دِیْنِ الْمَلِكِ اِلَّاۤ اَنْ یَّشَآءَ اللّٰهُ ؕ نَرْفَعُ دَرَجٰتٍ مَّنْ نَّشَآءُ ؕ وَ فَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِیْ عِلْمٍ عَلِیْمٌ۝۷۶

So he searched their saddle-bags before his brother´s, then produced the cup from his brother´s bag. That is how We planned an excuse for Joseph, for under the law of the king he could not detain his brother unless God so willed. We raise the status of whom We please. Over every man of knowledge there is one more knowing.

قَالُوْۤا اِنْ یَّسْرِقْ فَقَدْ سَرَقَ اَخٌ لَّهٗ مِنْ قَبْلُ ۚ فَاَسَرَّهَا یُوْسُفُ فِیْ نَفْسِهٖ وَ لَمْ یُبْدِهَا لَهُمْ ۚ قَالَ اَنْتُمْ شَرٌّ مَّكَانًا ۚ وَ اللّٰهُ اَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَصِفُوْنَ۝۷۷

Said the brothers: "If he has stolen (no wonder), his brother had stolen before." But Joseph kept this secret and did not disclose it to them, and said (to himself): "You are worse in the degree of evil, for God knows better of what you allege."

قَالُوْا یٰۤاَیُّهَا الْعَزِیْزُ اِنَّ لَهٗۤ اَبًا شَیْخًا كَبِیْرًا فَخُذْ اَحَدَنَا مَكَانَهٗ ۚ اِنَّا نَرٰىكَ مِنَ الْمُحْسِنِیْنَ۝۷۸

They said: "O Minister, he has an aged father, so keep one of us in his place. We see you are a virtuous man."

قَالَ مَعَاذَ اللّٰهِ اَنْ نَّاْخُذَ اِلَّا مَنْ وَّجَدْنَا مَتَاعَنَا عِنْدَهٗۤ ۙ اِنَّاۤ اِذًا لَّظٰلِمُوْنَ۠۝۷۹

"May God forgive us," he said, "if we hold any one but him with whom we found our property, or else we would be unjust."

فَلَمَّا اسْتَیْـَٔسُوْا مِنْهُ خَلَصُوْا نَجِیًّا ؕ قَالَ كَبِیْرُهُمْ اَلَمْ تَعْلَمُوْۤا اَنَّ اَبَاكُمْ قَدْ اَخَذَ عَلَیْكُمْ مَّوْثِقًا مِّنَ اللّٰهِ وَ مِنْ قَبْلُ مَا فَرَّطْتُّمْ فِیْ یُوْسُفَ ۚ فَلَنْ اَبْرَحَ الْاَرْضَ حَتّٰی یَاْذَنَ لِیْۤ اَبِیْۤ اَوْ یَحْكُمَ اللّٰهُ لِیْ ۚ وَ هُوَ خَیْرُ الْحٰكِمِیْنَ۝۸۰

When they despaired of (persuading) him, they went aside to confer. The oldest of them said: "You know that your father has pledged you in the name of God, and you have been guilty of iniquity in the case of Joseph before. I will not leave this place unless my father permits or God decides for me, for He is the best of all judges.