۞ Certain women that were in the city said, 'The Governor's wife has been soliciting her page; he smote her heart with love; we see her in manifest error. 30 Thereupon, when she heard of their malicious talk, she sent for them, and prepared for them a sumptuous repast, and handed each of them a knife and said [to Joseph]: "Come out and show thyself to them!" And when the women saw him, they were greatly amazed at his beauty, and [so flustered were they that] they cut their hands [with their knives,] exclaiming, "God save us! This is no mortal man! This is nought but a noble angel!" 31 She said: that then is he in regard to whom ye reproached me. Assuredly I solicited him against himself but he abstained; and if he doth not that which I command him, he shall surely be imprisoned and he shall surely be of the degraded. 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 His Lord heard his prayer, and averted the women's wiles from him. He verily hears and knows everything. 34 Even after Joseph had been found innocent of any crime, the King and his people decided to imprison him for an appointed time (so that people would forget the incident). 35