When they came to Joseph he made his brother his guest, and said: "I am your brother. So do not grieve for what they had done." 69 When he had furnished them with provisions, he placed the King's drinking cup in his own brother's baggage. Then someone shouted, "People of the caravan, you are thieves!" 70 They said, turning towards them: "What is it that ye miss?" 71 They said: we miss the king's cup; and for him who bringeth it shall be a camel-load; and thereof I am a guarantor. 72 Joseph's brothers said, "We swear by God, as you know, that we have not come to spread evil in the land and that we have not committed any theft." 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 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 bags before the bag of his brother; then he extracted it from the bag of his brother. Thus did We plan for Joseph. He could not have taken his brother within the religion of the king except that Allah willed. We raise in degrees whom We will, but over every possessor of knowledge is one [more] knowing. 76 ۞ They said, "If he is a thief, a brother of his had [also] committed theft before him." But Joseph kept his secret and revealed nothing to them. He said [to himself], "Your deed was worse. God best knows the things you speak of." 77 They said: "O Minister, he has an aged father, so keep one of us in his place. We see you are a virtuous man." 78 "May God forgive us," he said, "if we hold any one but him with whom we found our property, or else we would be unjust." 79