The king said: 'Bring him before me' But when the king's envoy came to him, he said: 'Go back to your lord and ask him: "What about the women who cut their hands. Indeed, my Lord knows their guile' 50 (The King) said (to the women): "What was your affair when you did seek to seduce Yusuf (Joseph)?" The women said: "Allah forbid! No evil know we against him!" The wife of Al-'Aziz said: "Now the truth is manifest (to all), it was I who sought to seduce him, and he is surely of the truthful." 51 (Then Joseph said: I asked for) this, that he (my lord) may know that I betrayed him not in secret, and that surely Allah guideth not the snare of the betrayers. 52 ۞ But I do not wish to absolve myself, for the soul is prone to evil, unless my Lord have mercy. Indeed my Lord is forgiving and kind." -- 53 So the king said: "Bring him unto me; I will take him specially to serve about my own person." Therefore when he had spoken to him, he said: "Be assured this day, thou art, before our own presence, with rank firmly established, and fidelity fully proved! 54 [Joseph] said, "Appoint me over the storehouses of the land. Indeed, I will be a knowing guardian." 55 And thus did We give to Yusuf power in the land-- he had mastery in it wherever he liked; We send down Our mercy on whom We please, and We do not waste the reward of those who do good. 56 But verily the reward of the Hereafter is the best, for those who believe, and are constant in righteousness. 57