that his brethren spoke thus only because they feared he
might do harm unto them, and he wept that they should put
so little trust in his affection. When they appeared, and fell
down before his face, and said, "Thou didst desire to make
one of us a slave unto thyself. Behold, we all are ready to be
thy servants," he spoke to them gently, and tried to convince
them that he harbored no evil design against them. He
said: "Be not afraid, I will do you no harm, for I fear God,
and if ye think I failed to have you sit at my table because
of enmity toward you, God knows the intentions of my
heart, He knows that I acted thus out of consideration for
the respect I owe to you."[427]

Furthermore he said: "Ye are like unto the dust of the
earth, the sand on the sea-shore, and the stars in the heavens.