Verse 12:17 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

13 قَالَ إِنِّی لَیَحۡزُنُنِیۤ أَن تَذۡهَبُوا۟ بِهِۦ وَأَخَافُ أَن یَأۡكُلَهُ ٱلذِّئۡبُ وَأَنتُمۡ عَنۡهُ غَـٰفِلُونَ ۝١٣ qāla innī layaḥzununī an tadhhabū bihi wa-akhāfu an yakulahu l-dhi'bu wa-antum ʿanhu ghāfilūn He replied, ‘The thought of you taking him away with you worries me: I am afraid a wolf may eat him when you are not paying attention.’ 14 قَالُوا۟ لَىِٕنۡ أَكَلَهُ ٱلذِّئۡبُ وَنَحۡنُ عُصۡبَةٌ إِنَّاۤ إِذࣰا لَّخَـٰسِرُونَ ۝١٤ qālū la-in akalahu l-dhi'bu wanaḥnu ʿuṣ'batun innā idhan lakhāsirūn They said, ‘If a wolf were to eat him when there are so many of us, we would truly be losers!’ 15 فَلَمَّا ذَهَبُوا۟ بِهِۦ وَأَجۡمَعُوۤا۟ أَن یَجۡعَلُوهُ فِی غَیَـٰبَتِ ٱلۡجُبِّۚ وَأَوۡحَیۡنَاۤ إِلَیۡهِ لَتُنَبِّئَنَّهُم بِأَمۡرِهِمۡ هَـٰذَا وَهُمۡ لَا یَشۡعُرُونَ ۝١٥ falammā dhahabū bihi wa-ajmaʿū an yajʿalūhu fī ghayābati l-jubi wa-awḥaynā ilayhi latunabbi-annahum bi-amrihim hādhā wahum lā yashʿurūn Then they took him away with them, resolved upon throwing him into the hidden depths of a well- We inspired him, saying, ‘You will tell them of all this [at a time] when they do not realize [who you are]!’ 16 وَجَاۤءُوۤ أَبَاهُمۡ عِشَاۤءࣰ یَبۡكُونَ ۝١٦ wajāū abāhum ʿishāan yabkūn and at nightfall they returned to their father weeping

17 قَالُوا۟ یَـٰۤأَبَانَاۤ إِنَّا ذَهَبۡنَا نَسۡتَبِقُ وَتَرَكۡنَا یُوسُفَ عِندَ مَتَـٰعِنَا فَأَكَلَهُ ٱلذِّئۡبُۖ وَمَاۤ أَنتَ بِمُؤۡمِنࣲ لَّنَا وَلَوۡ كُنَّا صَـٰدِقِینَ ۝١٧ qālū yāabānā innā dhahabnā nastabiqu wataraknā yūsufa ʿinda matāʿinā fa-akalahu l-dhi'bu wamā anta bimu'minin lanā walaw kunnā ṣādiqīn They said, ‘We went off racing one another, leaving Joseph behind with our things, and a wolf ate him. You will not believe us, though we are telling the truth!’

18 وَجَاۤءُو عَلَىٰ قَمِیصِهِۦ بِدَمࣲ كَذِبࣲۚ قَالَ بَلۡ سَوَّلَتۡ لَكُمۡ أَنفُسُكُمۡ أَمۡرࣰاۖ فَصَبۡرࣱ جَمِیلࣱۖ وَٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُسۡتَعَانُ عَلَىٰ مَا تَصِفُونَ ۝١٨ wajāū ʿalā qamīṣihi bidamin kadhibin qāla bal sawwalat lakum anfusukum amran faṣabrun jamīlun wal-lahu l-mus'taʿānu ʿalā mā taṣifūn and they showed him his shirt, deceptively stained with blood. He cried, ‘No! Your souls have prompted you to do wrong! But it is best to be patient: from God alone I seek help to bear what you are saying.’ 19 وَجَاۤءَتۡ سَیَّارَةࣱ فَأَرۡسَلُوا۟ وَارِدَهُمۡ فَأَدۡلَىٰ دَلۡوَهُۥۖ قَالَ یَـٰبُشۡرَىٰ هَـٰذَا غُلَـٰمࣱۚ وَأَسَرُّوهُ بِضَـٰعَةࣰۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِیمُۢ بِمَا یَعۡمَلُونَ ۝١٩ wajāat sayyāratun fa-arsalū wāridahum fa-adlā dalwahu qāla yābush'rā hādhā ghulāmun wa-asarrūhu biḍāʿatan wal-lahu ʿalīmun bimā yaʿmalūn Some travellers came by. They sent someone to draw water and he let down his bucket. ‘Good news!’ he exclaimed. ‘Here is a boy!’ They hid him like a piece of merchandise- God was well aware of what they did 20 وَشَرَوۡهُ بِثَمَنِۭ بَخۡسࣲ دَرَ ٰهِمَ مَعۡدُودَةࣲ وَكَانُوا۟ فِیهِ مِنَ ٱلزَّ ٰهِدِینَ ۝٢٠ washarawhu bithamanin bakhsin darāhima maʿdūdatin wakānū fīhi mina l-zāhidīn and then sold him for a small price, for a few pieces of silver: so little did they value him 21 وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِی ٱشۡتَرَىٰهُ مِن مِّصۡرَ لِٱمۡرَأَتِهِۦۤ أَكۡرِمِی مَثۡوَىٰهُ عَسَىٰۤ أَن یَنفَعَنَاۤ أَوۡ نَتَّخِذَهُۥ وَلَدࣰاۚ وَكَذَ ٰلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِیُوسُفَ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُۥ مِن تَأۡوِیلِ ٱلۡأَحَادِیثِۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰۤ أَمۡرِهِۦ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا یَعۡلَمُونَ ۝٢١ waqāla alladhī ish'tarāhu min miṣ'ra li-im'ra-atihi akrimī mathwāhu ʿasā an yanfaʿanā aw nattakhidhahu waladan wakadhālika makkannā liyūsufa fī l-arḍi walinuʿallimahu min tawīli l-aḥādīthi wal-lahu ghālibun ʿalā amrihi walākinna akthara l-nāsi lā yaʿlamūn The Egyptian who bought him said to his wife, ‘Look after him well! He may be useful to us, or we may adopt him as a son.’ In this way We settled Joseph in that land and later taught him how to interpret dreams: God always prevails in His purpose, though most people do not realize it