(Pharaoh) said: "What then is the condition of previous generations?"

He replied: "The knowledge of that is with my Lord, duly recorded: my Lord never errs, nor forgets,-

"He Who has, made for you the earth like a carpet spread out; has enabled you to go about therein by roads (and channels); and has sent down water from the sky." With it have We produced diverse pairs of plants each separate from the others.

Eat (for yourselves) and pasture your cattle: verily, in this are Signs for men endued with understanding.

From the (earth) did We create you, and into it shall We return you, and from it shall We bring you out once again.

And We showed Pharaoh all Our Signs, but he did reject and refuse.

He said: "Hast thou come to drive us out of our land with thy magic, O Moses?

"But we can surely produce magic to match thine! So make a tryst between us and thee, which we shall not fail to keep - neither we nor thou - in a place where both shall have even chances."

Moses said: "Your tryst is the Day of the Festival, and let the people be assembled when the sun is well up."

So Pharaoh withdrew: He concerted his plan, and then came (back).

Moses said to him: Woe to you! Forge not ye a lie against Allah, lest He destroy you (at once) utterly by chastisement: the forger must suffer frustration!"

So they disputed, one with another, over their affair, but they kept their talk secret.

They said: "These two are certainly (expert) magicians: their object is to drive you out from your land with their magic, and to do away with your most cherished institutions.

"Therefore concert your plan, and then assemble in (serried) ranks: He wins (all along) today who gains the upper hand."

They said: "O Moses! whether wilt thou that thou throw (first) or that we be the first to throw?"

He said, "Nay, throw ye first!" Then behold their ropes and their rods-so it seemed to him on account of their magic - began to be in lively motion!

So Moses conceived in his mind a (sort of) fear.

We said: "Fear not! for thou hast indeed the upper hand:

"Throw that which is in thy right hand: Quickly will it swallow up that which they have faked what they have faked is but a magician's trick: and the magician thrives not, (no matter) where he goes."

So the magicians were thrown down to prostration: they said, "We believe in the Lord of Aaron and Moses".

(Pharaoh) said: "Believe ye in Him before I give you permission? Surely this must be your leader, who has taught you magic! be sure I will cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides, and I will have you crucified on trunks of palm-trees: so shall ye know for certain, which of us can give the more severe and the more lasting punishment!"

They said: "Never shall we regard thee as more than the Clear Signs that have come to us, or than Him Who created us! so decree whatever thou desirest to decree: for thou canst only decree (touching) the life of this world.

"For us, we have believed in our Lord: may He forgive us our faults, and the magic to which thou didst compel us: for Allah is Best and Most Abiding."

Verily he who comes to his Lord as a sinner (at Judgment),- for him is Hell: therein shall he neither die nor live.

But such as come to Him as Believers who have worked righteous deeds,- for them are ranks exalted,-

Gardens of Eternity, beneath which flow rivers: they will dwell therein for aye: such is the reward of those who purify themselves (from evil).

We sent an inspiration to Moses: "Travel by night with My servants, and strike a dry path for them through the sea, without fear of being overtaken (by Pharaoh) and without (any other) fear."

Then Pharaoh pursued them with his forces, but the waters completely overwhelmed them and covered them up.

Pharaoh led his people astray instead of leading them aright.

O ye Children of Israel! We delivered you from your enemy, and We made a Covenant with you on the right side of Mount (Sinai), and We sent down to you Manna and quails:

(Saying): "Eat of the good things We have provided for your sustenance, but commit no excess therein, lest My Wrath should justly descend on you: and those on whom descends My Wrath do perish indeed!

"But, without doubt, I am (also) He that forgives again and again, to those who repent, believe, and do right, who,- in fine, are ready to receive true guidance."

(When Moses was up on the Mount, Allah said:) "What made thee hasten in advance of thy people, O Moses?"

He replied: "Behold, they are close on my footsteps: I hastened to thee, O my Lord, to please thee."

(Allah) said: "We have tested thy people in thy absence: the Samiri has led them astray."

So Moses returned to his people in a state of indignation and sorrow. He said: "O my people! did not your Lord make a handsome promise to you? Did then the promise seem to you long (in coming)? Or did ye desire that Wrath should descend from your Lord on you, and so ye broke your promise to me?"

They said: "We broke not the promise to thee, as far as lay in our power: but we were made to carry the weight of the ornaments of the (whole) people, and we threw them (into the fire), and that was what the Samiri suggested.

"Then he brought out (of the fire) before the (people) the image of a calf: It seemed to low: so they said: This is your god, and the god of Moses, but (Moses) has forgotten!"

Could they not see that it could not return them a word (for answer), and that it had no power either to harm them or to do them good?

Aaron had already, before this said to them: "O my people! ye are being tested in this: for verily your Lord is (Allah) Most Gracious; so follow me and obey my command."

They had said: "We will not abandon this cult, but we will devote ourselves to it until Moses returns to us."

(Moses) said: "O Aaron! what kept thee back, when thou sawest them going wrong,

"From following me? Didst thou then disobey my order?"

(Aaron) replied: "O son of my mother! Seize (me) not by my beard nor by (the hair of) my head! Truly I feared lest thou shouldst say, 'Thou has caused a division among the children of Israel, and thou didst not respect my word!'"

(Moses) said: "What then is thy case, O Samiri?"

He replied: "I saw what they saw not: so I took a handful (of dust) from the footprint of the Messenger, and threw it (into the calf): thus did my soul suggest to me."

(Moses) said: "Get thee gone! but thy (punishment) in this life will be that thou wilt say, 'touch me not'; and moreover (for a future penalty) thou hast a promise that will not fail: Now look at thy god, of whom thou hast become a devoted worshipper: We will certainly (melt) it in a blazing fire and scatter it broadcast in the sea!"

But the god of you all is the One Allah: there is no god but He: all things He comprehends in His knowledge.

Thus do We relate to thee some stories of what happened before: for We have sent thee a Message from Our own Presence.

If any do turn away therefrom, verily they will bear a burden on the Day of judgment;