۞ Some of the women in the town started to gossip saying, "The King's wife has tried to seduce her servant and has fallen madly in love with him. We think that she is in manifest error". 30 So when she heard of their scheming, she sent for them and prepared for them a banquet and gave each one of them a knife and said [to Joseph], "Come out before them." And when they saw him, they greatly admired him and cut their hands and said, "Perfect is Allah! This is not a man; this is none but a noble angel." 31 She said: "This is he (the young man) about whom you did blame me (for his love), and I did seek to seduce him, but he refused. And now if he refuses to obey my order, he shall certainly be cast into prison, and will be one of those who are disgraced." 32 Joseph said, "O my Lord! I would prefer prison to what these women are inviting me to do. And if You do not avert their guile from me, I may yield to them and so become one of the ignorant." 33 His Lord heard his prayers and protected him from their guile; He is All-hearing and All-knowing. 34 For, presently it occurred to the nobleman and his household - [even] after they had seen all the signs [of Joseph's innocence] - that they might as well imprison him for a time. 35