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 So when he had furnished them forth with their provisions, he put the (golden) bowl into his brother's bag, then a crier cried: "O you (in) the caravan! Surely, you are thieves!" 70 Joseph's brothers turned around and asked, "What is missing?" 71 They said, “We cannot find the king’s cup, and for him who brings it is a camel-load, and I am its guarantor.” 72 They said: By Allah, well ye know we came not to do evil in the land, and are no thieves. 73 (The Egyptians) said: "What then shall be the penalty of this, if ye are (proved) to have lied?" 74 Joseph's brothers replied, "In whosoever baggage it is found, that person will be your bondsman. Thus is the punishment of the unjust." 75 So he [Yusuf (Joseph)] began (the search) in their bags before the bag of his brother. Then he brought it out of his brother's bag. Thus did We plan for Yusuf (Joseph). He could not take his brother by the law of the king (as a slave), except that Allah willed it. (So Allah made the brothers to bind themselves with their way of "punishment, i.e. enslaving of a thief.") We raise to degrees whom We please, but over all those endowed with knowledge is the All-Knowing (Allah). 76 ۞ They said: "If he steals, there was a brother of his who did steal before (him)." But these things did Joseph keep locked in his heart, revealing not the secrets to them. He (simply) said (to himself): "Ye are the worse situated; and Allah knoweth best the truth of what ye assert!" 77 They said: O ruler of the land! Lo! he hath a very aged father, so take one of us instead of him. Lo! we behold thee of those who do kindness. 78 He said, "[I seek] the refuge of Allah [to prevent] that we take except him with whom we found our possession. Indeed, we would then be unjust." 79