And the man from Egypt who bought him said to his wife: "Make his stay [with us] honourable; he may well be of use to us, or we may adopt him as a son. And thus We gave unto Joseph a firm place on earth; and [We did this] so that We might impart unto him some understanding of the inner meaning of happenings. For, God always prevails in whatever be His purpose: but most people know it not. 21 And when he reached full manhood, We bestowed upon him the ability to judge [between right and wrong,] as well as [innate] knowledge: for thus do We reward the doers of good. 22 But she in whose house he was, sought to seduce him from his (true) self: she fastened the doors, and said: "Now come, thou (dear one)!" He said: "Allah forbid! truly (thy husband) is my lord! he made my sojourn agreeable! truly to no good come those who do wrong!" 23 She verily desired him, and he would have desired her if it had not been that he saw the argument of his Lord. Thus it was, that We might ward off from him evil and lewdness. Lo! he was of Our chosen slaves. 24 And they raced with one another to the door, and she tore his shirt from behind, and they met her lord and master at the door. She said: What shall be his reward, who wisheth evil to thy folk, save prison or a painful doom? 25 He said: it is she who solicited me against myself. And a witness from her own household bare witness: if his shirt be rent in front, then she speaketh the truth and he is of the liars. 26 But if the shirt is torn from behind then she is a liar, and he speaks the truth." 27 So when he saw his shirt torn from behind [her husband] said, "This is the guile of you women. Your guile is great indeed. 28 [But,] Joseph, let this pass! And thou, [O wife,] ask forgiveness for thy sin - for, verily, thou hast been greatly at fault!" 29