۞ Certain women in the city said: 'The Governor's wife has sought to seduce her servant. He has made her heart stricken with love for him. Clearly, we perceive her to be in error' 30 When she heard their slanderings, she sent for them and prepared a banquet, and gave each of them a knife (for paring fruit), and called (to Joseph): "Come out before them." When they saw him, the women were so wonderstruck they cut their hands, and exclaimed: "O Lord preserve us! He is no mortal but an honourable 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: O my Lord! Prison is more dear than that unto which they urge me, and if Thou fend not off their wiles from me I shall incline unto them and become of the foolish. 33 So his Lord hearkened to him (in his prayer), and turned away from him their snare: Verily He heareth and knoweth (all things). 34 Then it occurred to them to cast Joseph into prison for a while even though they had seen clear signs (of Joseph's innocence and of the evil ways of their ladies). 35