And when they entered upon Joseph, he took his brother to himself; he said, "Indeed, I am your brother, so do not despair over what they used to do [to me]." 69 And when he had given them their provisions, he hid a drinking cup in his brother's saddlebag. Then a herald called out after them: 'Cameleers, you are thieves!' 70 Turning back they asked: "What have you lost?" 71 The officials said: "We have lost the king's cup." (And their chief added): "He who brings it shall have a camel-load of provisions, I guarantee that." 72 'By Allah' they said, 'you know we did not come to do evil in this land. We are not thieves' 73 The Egyptians said, "What do you suggest should be the punishment for the thief, if it is proved that you are lying?" 74 They said: his meed shall be that he, in whose pack it is found, shall himself be recompense thereof. Thus we recompense the wrong-doers. 75 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. 76 ۞ 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." 77 They said: "O thou great one! Behold, he has a father, a very old man: detain, therefore, one of us in his stead. Verily, we see that thou art a doer of good!" 78 He replied: 'Allah forbid that we should seize any but he with whom our property was found, for then we should be harmdoers' 79