۞ 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 When she heard their slanderings, she sent for them and prepared a banquet, and gave each of them a knife (for paring fruit), and called (to Joseph): "Come out before them." When they saw him, the women were so wonderstruck they cut their hands, and exclaimed: "O Lord preserve us! He is no mortal but an honourable angel." 31 She said: "This is the one you blamed me for. I did desire his person, but he preserved himself from sin. Yet in case he does not do my bidding he will be put into prison and disgraced." 32 Joseph said, "Lord, prison is dearer to me than that which women want me to do. Unless You protect me from their guile, I shall be attracted to them in my ignorance". 33 Then his Lord answered to him, and averted their guile from him; verily He! He is the Hearer, the Knower! 34 And yet in spite of having seen these clear proofs they found it proper to incarcerate him for a time. 35