describe." They said, "Prince! Verily, he has a father, a very old man; take then one of us, instead of him; verily, we can see that thou art of those who do good." Said he, "I seek refuge in God, from taking any save him with whom we found our property; verily, we should then be certainly be unjust." And when they despaired of them, they retired to consult privately. Said the eldest of them, "Do ye not know, that your father has taken a compact from God against you? Aforetime ye exceeded in the matter of Joseph—I will surely not quit the land until my father give me leave, or God judge for me, for He is the best of judges. Return ye to our father and say, "Father verily thy son has committed theft, and we bore testimony to naught but what we knew; for of the unforeseen we were not keepers. Ask then in the city where we were, and of the caravan in which we approached it, for, verily, we tell the truth.
Said he, "Nay your souls have induced you to do this thing. But patience is fair. It may be that God will give them to me altogether;—verily, He is knowing, wise!"
And he turned away from them and said, "O my lament for Joseph!" And his eyes grew white with grief, for he repressed his woe. They said, "By God! Thou wilt not cease to remember Joseph till thou art at the point of death, or art of those who perish." Said he, "I only complain of my emotion and of my grief to God, for I know that from God of which ye know nothing." O my sons! go and enquire concerning Joseph and his brother, and despair
