AND WHEN [the sons of Jacob] presented themselves before Joseph, he drew his brother [Benjamin] unto himself, saying [to him in secret]: "Behold, I am thy brother! So grieve thou not over their past doings!" 69 When he had given them their provisions he put his goblet in his brother's saddle-bag. Then a crier announced: "O men of the caravan, you are thieves." 70 Turning towards the herald and his companions, the brothers asked: "What is it that you miss?" 71 They said: "We have missed the (golden) bowl of the king and for him who produces it is (the reward of) a camel load; I will be bound by it." 72 They said: "By Allah! Indeed you know that we came not to make mischief in the land, and we are no thieves!" 73 They said: what shall be the meed of him, if ye are found liars! 74 They replied: 'Its recompense in whosoever's saddle bag it is found, he shall be its recompense. As such we punish the harmdoers' 75 So he searched their saddle-bags before his brother's, then produced the cup from his brother's bag. That is how We planned an excuse for Joseph, for under the law of the king he could not detain his brother unless God so willed. We raise the status of whom We please. Over every man of knowledge there is one more knowing. 76 ۞ [As soon as the cup came to light out of Benjamin's bag, the brothers] exclaimed: "If he has stolen - well, a brother of his used to steal afore-time!" Thereupon Joseph said to himself, without revealing his thought to them: "You are far worse in this respect, and God is fully aware of what you are saying. 77 They said, "O exalted one, he has a very aged father, take one of us in his place. We can see that you are a very good man." 78 He said, 'God forbid that we should take any other but him in whose possession we found the goods; for if we did so, we would be evildoers.' 79