AND WHEN [the sons of Jacob] presented themselves before Joseph, he drew his brother [Benjamin] unto himself, saying [to him in secret]: "Behold, I am thy brother! So grieve thou not over their past doings!" 69 And when he provided them with their provision, he put the drinking-cup in his brother's saddlebag, and then a crier cried: O camel-riders! Lo! ye are surely thieves! 70 They said, turning towards them: "What is it that ye miss?" 71 They said, "We are missing the measure of the king. And for he who produces it is [the reward of] a camel's load, and I am responsible for it." 72 They said: by Allah! assuredly ye know that we came not to work corruption in the land, nor we have been thieves. 73 The Egyptians asked them, "And if we find that you are lying, what penalty shall we mete out to you?" 74 They replied, "The penalty should be that he in whose saddlebag it is found, should be held [as bondman] to atone for the crime. That is how we punish the wrongdoers." 75 So he began (the search) with their baggage, before (he came to) the baggage of his brother: at length he brought it out of his brother's baggage. Thus did We plan for Joseph. He could not take his brother by the law of the king except that Allah willed it (so). We raise to degrees (of wisdom) whom We please: but over all endued with knowledge is one, the All-Knowing. 76 ۞ They said: "No wonder that he steals for a brother of his stole before." But Joseph kept his reaction to himself without disclosing the truth to them. He merely said to himself: "You are an evil lot. Allah knows well the truth of the accusation that you are making against me (to my face)." 77 They said, “O governor! He has a very aged father, so take one of us in his stead; indeed we witness your favours.” 78 He said: Allah protect us that we should seize other than him with whom we found our property, for then most surely we would be unjust. 79