Verse 12:70 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

66 قَالَ لَنۡ أُرۡسِلَهُۥ مَعَكُمۡ حَتَّىٰ تُؤۡتُونِ مَوۡثِقࣰا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لَتَأۡتُنَّنِی بِهِۦۤ إِلَّاۤ أَن یُحَاطَ بِكُمۡۖ فَلَمَّاۤ ءَاتَوۡهُ مَوۡثِقَهُمۡ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ مَا نَقُولُ وَكِیلࣱ ۝٦٦ qāla lan ur'silahu maʿakum ḥattā tu'tūni mawthiqan mina l-lahi latatunnanī bihi illā an yuḥāṭa bikum falammā ātawhu mawthiqahum qāla l-lahu ʿalā mā naqūlu wakīlu He said, ‘I will never send him with you, not unless you swear by God that you will bring him back to me if that is humanly possible.’ Then, when they had given him their pledge, he said, ‘Our words are entrusted to God.’ 67 وَقَالَ یَـٰبَنِیَّ لَا تَدۡخُلُوا۟ مِنۢ بَابࣲ وَ ٰحِدࣲ وَٱدۡخُلُوا۟ مِنۡ أَبۡوَ ٰبࣲ مُّتَفَرِّقَةࣲۖ وَمَاۤ أُغۡنِی عَنكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن شَیۡءٍۖ إِنِ ٱلۡحُكۡمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِۖ عَلَیۡهِ تَوَكَّلۡتُۖ وَعَلَیۡهِ فَلۡیَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلۡمُتَوَكِّلُونَ ۝٦٧ waqāla yābaniyya lā tadkhulū min bābin wāḥidin wa-ud'khulū min abwābin mutafarriqatin wamā ugh'nī ʿankum mina l-lahi min shayin ini l-ḥuk'mu illā lillahi ʿalayhi tawakkaltu waʿalayhi falyatawakkali l-mutawakilūn He said, ‘My sons, do not enter all by one gate- use different gates. But I cannot help you against the will of God: all power is in God’s hands. I trust in Him; let everyone put their trust in Him,’ 68 وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا۟ مِنۡ حَیۡثُ أَمَرَهُمۡ أَبُوهُم مَّا كَانَ یُغۡنِی عَنۡهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن شَیۡءٍ إِلَّا حَاجَةࣰ فِی نَفۡسِ یَعۡقُوبَ قَضَىٰهَاۚ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَذُو عِلۡمࣲ لِّمَا عَلَّمۡنَـٰهُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا یَعۡلَمُونَ ۝٦٨ walammā dakhalū min ḥaythu amarahum abūhum mā kāna yugh'nī ʿanhum mina l-lahi min shayin illā ḥājatan fī nafsi yaʿqūba qaḍāhā wa-innahu ladhū ʿil'min limā ʿallamnāhu walākinna akthara l-nāsi lā yaʿlamūn and, when they entered as their father had told them, it did not help them against the will of God, it merely satisfied a wish of Jacob’s. He knew well what We had taught him, though most people do not 69 وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا۟ عَلَىٰ یُوسُفَ ءَاوَىٰۤ إِلَیۡهِ أَخَاهُۖ قَالَ إِنِّیۤ أَنَا۠ أَخُوكَ فَلَا تَبۡتَىِٕسۡ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ یَعۡمَلُونَ ۝٦٩ walammā dakhalū ʿalā yūsufa āwā ilayhi akhāhu qāla innī anā akhūka falā tabta-is bimā kānū yaʿmalūn Then, when they presented themselves before Joseph, he drew his brother apart and said, ‘I am your brother, so do not be saddened by their past actions,’

70 فَلَمَّا جَهَّزَهُم بِجَهَازِهِمۡ جَعَلَ ٱلسِّقَایَةَ فِی رَحۡلِ أَخِیهِ ثُمَّ أَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌ أَیَّتُهَا ٱلۡعِیرُ إِنَّكُمۡ لَسَـٰرِقُونَ ۝٧٠ falammā jahhazahum bijahāzihim jaʿala l-siqāyata fī raḥli akhīhi thumma adhana mu-adhinun ayyatuhā l-ʿīru innakum lasāriqūn and, once he had given them their provisions, he placed the drinking-cup in his brother’s pack. A man called out, ‘People of the caravan! You are thieves!’

71 قَالُوا۟ وَأَقۡبَلُوا۟ عَلَیۡهِم مَّاذَا تَفۡقِدُونَ ۝٧١ qālū wa-aqbalū ʿalayhim mādhā tafqidūn and they turned and said, ‘What have you lost?’ 72 قَالُوا۟ نَفۡقِدُ صُوَاعَ ٱلۡمَلِكِ وَلِمَن جَاۤءَ بِهِۦ حِمۡلُ بَعِیرࣲ وَأَنَا۠ بِهِۦ زَعِیمࣱ ۝٧٢ qālū nafqidu ṣuwāʿa l-maliki waliman jāa bihi ḥim'lu baʿīrin wa-anā bihi zaʿīmu They replied, ‘The king’s drinking-cup is missing,’ and, ‘Whoever returns it will get a camel-load [of grain],’ and, ‘I give you my word.’ 73 قَالُوا۟ تَٱللَّهِ لَقَدۡ عَلِمۡتُم مَّا جِئۡنَا لِنُفۡسِدَ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا كُنَّا سَـٰرِقِینَ ۝٧٣ qālū tal-lahi laqad ʿalim'tum mā ji'nā linuf'sida fī l-arḍi wamā kunnā sāriqīn They said, ‘By God! You must know that we did not come to make mischief in your land: we are no thieves.’ 74 قَالُوا۟ فَمَا جَزَ ٰۤؤُهُۥۤ إِن كُنتُمۡ كَـٰذِبِینَ ۝٧٤ qālū famā jazāuhu in kuntum kādhibīn They asked them, ‘And if we find that you are lying, what penalty shall we apply to you?’