۞ Certain women that were in the city said, 'The Governor's wife has been soliciting her page; he smote her heart with love; we see her in manifest error. 30 Hearing of their sly talk the chief's wife sent for those ladies, and arranged for them a banquet, and got ready couches, and gave each guest a knife. Then, while they were cutting and eating the fruit, she signalled Joseph: "Come out to them." When the ladies saw him they were so struck with admiration that they cut their hands, exclaiming: "Allah preserve us. This is no mortal human. This is nothing 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 He supplicated: 'Lord, prison is dearer to me than that to which they invite me. Yet if You do not shield me from their guile I shall yield to them and be one of the ignorant' 33 Thereupon his Lord accepted his prayer and turned away their guile from him; surely He is the Hearing, the Knowing. 34 Even after Joseph had been found innocent of any crime, the King and his people decided to imprison him for an appointed time (so that people would forget the incident). 35