۞ Women in the town began to gossip, "The nobleman's wife is trying to seduce her slave! Love for him consumes her heart! Indeed! We see her in manifest error." 30 Thereupon, when she heard of their malicious talk, she sent for them, and prepared for them a sumptuous repast, and handed each of them a knife and said [to Joseph]: "Come out and show thyself to them!" And when the women saw him, they were greatly amazed at his beauty, and [so flustered were they that] they cut their hands [with their knives,] exclaiming, "God save us! This is no mortal man! This is nought but a noble angel!" 31 She said, "This is the one on whose account you subjected me to all this blame. I tried to seduce him but he abstained. If he does not yield to me, I shall order him to be locked up in prison to make him humble." 32 Joseph said, "Lord, prison is dearer to me than that which women want me to do. Unless You protect me from their guile, I shall be attracted to them in my ignorance". 33 Then his Lord answered to him, and averted their guile from him; verily He! He is the Hearer, the Knower! 34 Then it seemed good to them, even after they had seen the signs, that they should imprison him for some time. 35