۞ In the city the women gossiped: "The minister's wife longs after her page. He has captured her heart. We think she is in clear error." 30 When she heard their gossiping, she invited them to her house for a banquet and gave a knife to each of them. Then she told Joseph to appear before them. When they saw Joseph, they were so amazed that they cut their hands and said, "Goodness gracious! He is not a mortal but is a charming angel!" 31 She said, "This is the one on whose account you subjected me to all this blame. I tried to seduce him but he abstained. If he does not yield to me, I shall order him to be locked up in prison to make him humble." 32 He said, "My Lord, prison is more to my liking than that to which they invite me. And if You do not avert from me their plan, I might incline toward them and [thus] be of the ignorant." 33 So his Lord heard his prayer and fended off their wiles from him. Lo! He is Hearer, Knower. 34 Then it occurred to the men, after they had seen the signs, (that it was best) to imprison him for a time. 35