And the man from Egypt who bought him said to his wife: "Make his stay [with us] honourable; he may well be of use to us, or we may adopt him as a son. And thus We gave unto Joseph a firm place on earth; and [We did this] so that We might impart unto him some understanding of the inner meaning of happenings. For, God always prevails in whatever be His purpose: but most people know it not. 21 When he reached the prime of life We gave him wisdom and knowledge. Thus We reward those who are good. 22 However, the woman in whose house he lived, wanted to seduce him. One day she bolted the doors and said, "Come!" He replied, "God forbid! Truly [your husband] is my master and has treated me honourably. Wrongdoers certainly never prosper." 23 She verily desired him, and he would have desired her if it had not been that he saw the argument of his Lord. Thus it was, that We might ward off from him evil and lewdness. Lo! he was of Our chosen slaves. 24 They raced to the door; and she tore his shirt from behind. They encountered her master by the door. She said, 'What is the recompense of him who purposes evil against thy folk, but that he should be imprisoned, or a painful chastisement?' 25 He said: it is she who solicited me against myself. And a witness from her own household bare witness: if his shirt be rent in front, then she speaketh the truth and he is of the liars. 26 And if his shirt is rent from behind, she tells a lie and he is one of the truthful. 27 So when he saw his shirt torn from behind, he said: Lo! this is of the guile of you women. Lo! the guile of you is very great. 28 Joseph, stay away from such affairs and you, woman, ask forgiveness for your sin; the guilt is yours." 29