And the king said: bring him unto me. Then, when the messenger came to him, he said: return to thy lord, and ask him, what about the women who cut their hands? verily my Lord is the Knower of their guile. 50 The king asked the women: "What was the affair of seducing Joseph?" "God preserve us," they said; "we know no evil against him." The wife of the minister said: "The truth has now come out. It was I who desired to seduce him, but he is indeed a man of virtue." -- 51 Joseph said: "I did this so that he [i.e. the chief) may know that I did not betray him in his absence, and that Allah does not allow the design of the treacherous to succeed. 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 The king said, 'Bring him to me! I would attach him to my person.' Then, when he had spoken with him, he said, 'Today thou art established firmly in our favour and in our trust.' 54 He said: Set me over the storehouses of the land. Lo! I am a skilled custodian. 55 Thus, We settled Joseph in the land to live wherever he wanted. We grant a due share of Our mercy to whomever We want and We do not ignore the reward of the righteous ones. 56 And the reward of the Hereafter is better, for those who believe and ward off (evil). 57