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 Then, while Joseph was having their provisions loaded, he put his drinking-cup in his brother's saddlebag. And then a herald cried: "Travellers, you are thieves." 70 They, turning towards them, said: "What is it that you have missed?" 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! you know for certain that we have not come to make mischief in the land, and we are not thieves. 73 (The Egyptians) said: "What then shall be the penalty of this, if ye are (proved) to have lied?" 74 They replied: "He in whose saddlebag the cup is found, he himself shall be its recompense." Thus do we punish the wrong-doers. 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 ۞ (Joseph's) brothers said, "It's no wonder that he steals; a brother of his had stolen before him." Joseph noted their remarks, but did not utter a word. He said (to himself), "You are in a worse position. God knows best what you allege." 77 They said: "O Minister, he has an aged father, so keep one of us in his place. We see you are a virtuous man." 78 He said: Allah protect us that we should seize other than him with whom we found our property, for then most surely we would be unjust. 79