Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad
[Jacob] replied: "Shall I trust you with him in the same way as I trusted you with his brother (Joseph] aforetime? [Nay,] but God's guardianship is better [than yours], for He is the most merciful of the merciful!"
M. M. Pickthall
He said: Can I entrust him to you save as I entrusted his brother to you aforetime? Allah is better at guarding, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
He said: "Shall I trust you with him with any result other than when I trusted you with his brother aforetime? But Allah is the best to take care (of him), and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy!"
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab
He responded, “Should I trust you with him as I once trusted you with his brother ˹Joseph˺? But ˹only˺ Allah is the best Protector, and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.”
Safi Kaskas
[Jacob] replied, “Will I trust you with him in the same way I trusted you with his brother [Joseph] before? No, but God’s guardianship is better [than yours]. He is the Most Merciful to those who show mercy.”
Wahiduddin Khan
He replied, Am I to trust you with him as I once trusted you with his brother? But God is the best of guardians, the Most Merciful of all
Shakir
He said: I cannot trust in you with respect to him, except as I trusted in you with respect to his brother before; but Allah is the best Keeper, and He is the most Merciful of the merciful ones
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar
Jacob said: How will I entrust him to you as I entrusted you with his brother before? But, then, God is Best of One Who Guards. And He is One Who is the Most Merciful of the ones who are the most merciful.
T.B.Irving
He said: "How dare I trust you with him except as I entrusted you with his brother long ago? God is the best Guardian and the most Merciful of Mercy-granters."
Abdul Hye
He said: “Can I entrust him to you except as I entrusted on his brother (Joseph) to you before? But Allah is the best to guard and He is Merciful of those who show mercy.”
The Study Quran
He said, “Should I entrust him to you as I entrusted his brother to you aforetime? But God is the best of keepers, and He is the most Merciful of the merciful.
Talal Itani & AI (2024)
He replied, “Shall I entrust him to you, when I had previously entrusted his brother to you? God is the best preserver, and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.”
Talal Itani (2012)
He said, 'Shall I trust you with him, as I trusted you with his brother before? God is the Best Guardian, and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.'
Dr. Kamal Omar
(Yaqub) said: "Would I trust you regarding him, except as I trusted you regarding his brother aforetime? So Allah is the Best as Protector, and He is a Better Bestower of Mercy among those who bestow mercy.'
He said: "Should I trust you with him as I once trusted you with his brother? Allah is the best protector and He is the Most Merciful of the mercygivers."
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali
He said, "should I keep him in custody to you except as I kept his brother in custody even before to you? Yet, Allah is The Most Charitable as Preserver and He is The Most Merciful of the merciful."
Muhammad Sarwar
Jacob replied, "How can I trust you after what happened to his brother before? Only God is the best Protector. His mercy is far greater than that of others."
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
He said, .Shall I trust you about him as I trusted you earlier about his brother? Well, Allah is the best guardian, and He is the Most-Merciful of all the merciful
Shabbir Ahmed
Jacob said, "Shall I trust you with him as I trusted you with his brother? Allah is better at Guarding and He is the most Merciful of the merciful."
Dr. Munir Munshey
(Their father) said, "Shall I trust you with him now, like I trusted you with his brother earlier? Allah is the real Protector. He is absolutely the most Merciful."
Syed Vickar Ahamed
He (Jacob) said: "Shall I trust you with him with any result different from when I trusted you with his brother before? But Allah is the best to take care (of him), and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy!"
He said, "Should I entrust you with him except [under coercion] as I entrusted you with his brother before? But Allah is the best guardian, and He is the most merciful of the merciful."
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)
He said: "Shall I trust him with you as I trusted you with Joseph before that God is the best guardian, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy."
Abdel Haleem
He said, ‘Am I to entrust him to you as I did his brother before? God is the best guardian and the Most Merciful of the merciful.’
Abdul Majid Daryabadi
He said: I intrust you with him only as I intrusted you with his brother aforetime; Allah is the best Guard, and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful
Ahmed Ali
He replied: "Should I trust you with him as I did his brother? But God is the best of guardians, and most merciful of all."
Aisha Bewley
He said, ´How will my trusting him to your care be different from entrusting his brother before? The Best of Guardians, however, is Allah. He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.´
Ali Ünal
He said: "Shall I to entrust him to you as I once entrusted his brother to you before? However, God is the Best as protector and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful."
Ali Quli Qara'i
He said, ‘Should I trust you with him just as I trusted you with his brother before? Yet Allah is the best of protectors, and He is the most merciful of merciful ones.’
Hamid S. Aziz
He said, "Shall I entrust you with him with results other than when I entrusted you with his brother before him? But Allah is the best of keepers, and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful."
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad
He (Jacob) said: “Should I trust you with him as I trusted you with his brother (Joseph) in the past? God is the best guardian, and He is the most merciful of the merciful ones.”
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)
He said, “Shall I trust you with him to any end other than when I trusted you with his brother? But God is the best Caretaker, and He is a better redeemer than all who redeem.
Musharraf Hussain
He said, “If I entrust you with him, won’t it be the same as before, when I entrusted you with his brother? Allah is the best guardian, and He is the most kind.”
Maududi
The father said: "Shall I trust you with regard to him as I had trusted you earlier with regard to his brother? Allah is the Best Protector and is the Most Merciful."
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)
He said: "Shall I trust him with you as I trusted you with Joseph before that? God is the best guardian, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy."
Mohammad Shafi
He said, "Shall I entrust him to you just as I entrusted to you his brother before? But Allah is the best Protector, and He is the most Merciful."
Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)
He said, 'May I trust you about him likewise I trusted you before about his brother.' Then Allah is the best Guard He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.
He said, "Shall I trust you with him, as I trusted you with his brother before that? GOD is the best Protector, and, of all the merciful ones, He is the Most Merciful."
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah
He replied: 'Am I to trust you with him as I once trusted you with his brother? Why, Allah is the Best of guardians, and He is the Most Merciful of theMerciful.
Maulana Muhammad Ali
He said: Can I trust you with him, except as I trusted you with his brother before. So Allah is the best Keeper, and He is the most Merciful of those who show mercy
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira
He said: "Do I, I entrust you on him, except as I entrusted you on his brother from before? So God (is the) best protector , and he (is) most merciful (of) the merciful."
Bijan Moeinian
Their father said: “Should I entrust him to you as I entrusted Joseph to you before? No way, I entrust him to God Who is the best Protector. He is the Most Merciful of all the merciful ones.”
Faridul Haque
He said, "Shall I trust you regarding him the same way I had trusted you earlier regarding his brother? Therefore Allah is the Best Protector; and He is More Merciful than all those who show mercy."
Sher Ali
He said, `Can I trust you with him, except with the same result as when I trusted you with his brother before. But ALLAH is the Best Protector, And HE is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
Ya‘qub (Jacob) said: ‘Shall I trust you with him (as well) the same way as before this I trusted you with his brother (Yusuf—Joseph)? Then Allah alone is the Best Protector, and He alone is the Most Merciful of all the merciful.
Amatul Rahman Omar
(Jacob) said, `Shall I trust you with him as I trusted you with his brother before? (I would rather trust Allah.) Allah is the best Guardian and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali
He said: "Can I entrust him to you except as I entrusted his brother (Yoosuf (Joseph)) to you aforetime? But Allah is the Best to guard, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy."
New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame
He said, “Should I trust you with him as I did trust you with his brother aforetime? But surely Allah is the best keeper and He is The Most Merciful of those who are merciful.”
Munir Mezyed
He said: ‘Should I entrust you with him, except as I entrusted you with his brother aforetime? But only Allâh is the Best Guardian and He is the Most Merciful of all the those who show mercy’.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher
He said: shall I entrust him to you like I entrusted his brother to you before? But Allah is the best keeper and the most merciful of all.
Linda “iLHam” Barto
(Jacob their father) said, “Shall I trust you with him like I trusted you with his brother before? Allah is the best caregiver. He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.”
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation
He said, “Am I to entrust him to you as I entrusted his brother to you before? Allah is a Better Preserver, and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful ones.”
Irving & Mohamed Hegab
He said: "How dare I trust you with him except as I entrusted you with his brother long ago? Allah (God) is the best Guardian and the most Merciful of Mercy-granters."
Samy Mahdy
He said, “Shall I entrust you upon him, as I entrusted you with his brother before? So, Allah is the Best Keeper, and He is the most merciful of the merciful ones.”
Sayyid Qutb
He replied: 'Am I to trust you with him in the same way as I trusted you with his brother in the past? But God is the best of guardians; and of all those who show mercy He is the Most Merciful.'
Ahmed Hulusi
(Their father) said, “Shall I entrust you with him as I entrusted you with your brother (Joseph) before? Allah is the protector! He is the most Rahim of the Rahim.
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli
He said: 'Shall I trust you with him save as I trusted you with his brother before But Allah is the best guardian, and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful ones'.
The father said: "Shall I entrust him to you just as I entrusted his brother -Yusuf- to you before! Allah is He Who is the Tutelary Guardian and He is the most capable of extending mercy
Mir Aneesuddin
He said, “Shall I believe you with respect to him in a manner other than the manner in which I believed you with respect to his brother earlier? But Allah is the Best Protector and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful ones.”
The Wise Quran
He said, 'Shall I entrust you with him, except as I entrusted you with his brother before? But God is the best guardian, and He is the most merciful of the merciful.