AND [after some years,] Joseph's brothers came [to Egypt] and presented themselves before him: and he knew them [at once,] whereas they did not recognize him. 58 When he had supplied their provisions, he said to them: "Bring your (half) brother with you. Have you not seen that I have given full measure, and that I am the best of hosts? 59 "But if you bring him not to me, there shall be no measure (of corn) for you with me, nor shall you come near me." 60 They answered: "We shall try to persuade his father to part with him, and verily, we shall do [our utmost]!" 61 Then he said to his attendants: 'Put their merchandise in their saddlebags, hopefully they will recognize it when they return to their people. Perhaps they will come back' 62 When they returned to their father they said: "Father! We have been denied further supply of corn. So send with us our brother that we may bring the supplies. We shall be responsible for his protection." 63 He said: I intrust you with him only as I intrusted you with his brother aforetime; Allah is the best Guard, and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful. 64 And when they opened their things they found that their goods had been given back to them. Thereupon they cried: "Father! What else would we desire? Look, even our goods have been given back to us, so we shall go now and bring supplies for our family, we shall protect our brother, and bring another camel-load of corn. That additional supply will be easily secured." 65 He said: I will by no means send him with you until you give me a firm covenant in Allah's name that you will most certainly bring him back to me, unless you are completely surrounded. And when they gave him their covenant, he said: Allah is the One in Whom trust is placed as regards what we say. 66 And he said: my sons! enter not by one gate but enter by different gates; and I cannot avail you against Allah at all: judgment is but Allah's; on Him I rely, and on Him let the relying rely. 67 But although they entered [Joseph's city] in the way their father had bidden them, this proved of no avail whatever to them against [the plan of] God but [His request] had served only to satisfy Jacob's heartfelt desire [to protect them]: for, behold, thanks to what We had imparted unto him, he was indeed endowed with the knowledge [that God's will must always prevail]; but most people know it not. 68