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 So when he furnished them with their provisions, (someone) placed the drinking cup in his brother's bag. Then a crier cried out: O caravan! you are most surely thieves. 70 They said, turning towards him, "What is it that you have lost?" 71 They said, 'We are missing the king's goblet. Whoever brings it shall receive a camel's load; that I guarantee.' 72 They said, "By God, you [ought to] know we have not come here to cause any trouble in the land. We are not thieves!" 73 "What should be the punishment," they were asked, "in case you are liars?" 74 They said: his meed shall be that he, in whose pack it is found, shall himself be recompense thereof. Thus we recompense the wrong-doers. 75 So he [Yusuf (Joseph)] began (the search) in their bags before the bag of his brother. Then he brought it out of his brother's bag. Thus did We plan for Yusuf (Joseph). He could not take his brother by the law of the king (as a slave), except that Allah willed it. (So Allah made the brothers to bind themselves with their way of "punishment, i.e. enslaving of a thief.") We raise to degrees whom We please, but over all those endowed with knowledge is the All-Knowing (Allah). 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 ruler of the land! Lo! he hath a very aged father, so take one of us instead of him. Lo! we behold thee of those who do kindness. 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