Is it not clear to those who inherit the land from former generations that We can punish them too for their sins if We will? And seal up their hearts so that they cannot hear?

We have told you [Prophet] the stories of those towns: messengers came to them, and clear signs, but they would not believe in what they had already rejected- in this way God seals the hearts of disbelievers.

We found that most of them did not honour their commitments; We found that most of them were defiant.

أَوَلَمْ يَهْدِ لِلَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ ٱلْأَرْضَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ أَهْلِهَآ أَن لَّوْ نَشَآءُ أَصَبْنَٰهُم بِذُنُوبِهِمْۚ وَنَطْبَعُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ

تِلْكَ ٱلْقُرَىٰ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنۢبَآئِهَاۚ وَلَقَدْ جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِ فَمَا كَانُوا۟ لِيُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِمَا كَذَّبُوا۟ مِن قَبْلُۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَطْبَعُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ

وَمَا وَجَدْنَا لِأَكْثَرِهِم مِّنْ عَهْدࣲۖ وَإِن وَجَدْنَآ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَفَٰسِقِينَ

After these, We sent Moses to Pharaoh and his leading supporters with Our signs, but they rejected them. See the fate of those who used to spread corruption.

Moses said, ‘Pharaoh, I am a messenger from the Lord of all the Worlds,

duty-bound to say nothing about God but the truth, and I have brought you a clear sign from your Lord. Let the Children of Israel go with me.’

He said, ‘Produce this sign you have brought, if you are telling the truth.’

So Moses threw his staff and- lo and behold!- it was a snake, clear to all,

and then he pulled out his hand and- lo and behold!- it was white for all to see.

ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَا مِنۢ بَعْدِهِم مُّوسَىٰ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَآ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَإِي۟هِۦ فَظَلَمُوا۟ بِهَاۖ فَٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ

وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ يَٰفِرْعَوْنُ إِنِّي رَسُولࣱ مِّن رَّبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ

حَقِيقٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَن لَّآ أَقُولَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلْحَقَّۚ قَدْ جِئْتُكُم بِبَيِّنَةࣲ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ فَأَرْسِلْ مَعِيَ بَنِيٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ

قَالَ إِن كُنتَ جِئْتَ بِـَٔايَةࣲ فَأْتِ بِهَآ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ

فَأَلْقَىٰ عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ ثُعْبَانࣱ مُّبِينࣱ

وَنَزَعَ يَدَهُۥ فَإِذَا هِيَ بَيْضَآءُ لِلنَّٰظِرِينَ

The leaders among Pharaoh’s people said, ‘This man is a learned sorcerer!

He means to drive you out of your land!’ Pharaoh said, ‘What do you suggest?’

They said, ‘Delay him and his brother for a while, and send messengers to all the cities

to summon every learned sorcerer to you.’

The sorcerers came to Pharaoh and said, ‘Shall we be rewarded if we win?’

and he replied, ‘Yes, and you will join my inner court.’

So they said, ‘Moses, will you throw first or shall we?’

He said, ‘You throw,’ and they did, casting a spell on people’s eyes, striking fear into them, and bringing about great sorcery.

Then We inspired Moses, ‘Throw your staff,’ and- lo and behold!––it devoured their fakery.

The truth was confirmed and what they had produced came to nothing:

they were defeated there and utterly humiliated.

The sorcerers fell to their knees

and said, ‘We believe in the Lord of the Worlds,

but Pharaoh said, ‘How dare you believe in Him before I have given you permission? This is a plot you have hatched to drive the people out of this city! Soon you will see:

I will cut off your alternate hands and feet and then crucify you all!’

They said, ‘And so we shall return to our Lord-

Your only grievance against us is that we believed in the signs of our Lord when they came to us. Our Lord, pour steadfastness upon us and let us die in devotion to You.’

قَالَ ٱلْمَلَأُ مِن قَوْمِ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَسَٰحِرٌ عَلِيمࣱ

يُرِيدُ أَن يُخْرِجَكُم مِّنْ أَرْضِكُمْۖ فَمَاذَا تَأْمُرُونَ

قَالُوٓا۟ أَرْجِهْ وَأَخَاهُ وَأَرْسِلْ فِي ٱلْمَدَآئِنِ حَٰشِرِينَ

يَأْتُوكَ بِكُلِّ سَٰحِرٍ عَلِيمࣲ

وَجَآءَ ٱلسَّحَرَةُ فِرْعَوْنَ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ لَنَا لَأَجْرًا إِن كُنَّا نَحْنُ ٱلْغَٰلِبِينَ

قَالَ نَعَمْ وَإِنَّكُمْ لَمِنَ ٱلْمُقَرَّبِينَ

قَالُوا۟ يَٰمُوسَىٰٓ إِمَّآ أَن تُلْقِيَ وَإِمَّآ أَن نَّكُونَ نَحْنُ ٱلْمُلْقِينَ

قَالَ أَلْقُوا۟ۖ فَلَمَّآ أَلْقَوْا۟ سَحَرُوٓا۟ أَعْيُنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَٱسْتَرْهَبُوهُمْ وَجَآءُو بِسِحْرٍ عَظِيمࣲ

۞ وَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰٓ أَنْ أَلْقِ عَصَاكَۖ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَ

فَوَقَعَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَبَطَلَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ

فَغُلِبُوا۟ هُنَالِكَ وَٱنقَلَبُوا۟ صَٰغِرِينَ

وَأُلْقِيَ ٱلسَّحَرَةُ سَٰجِدِينَ

قَالُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا بِرَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ

قَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ ءَامَنتُم بِهِۦ قَبْلَ أَنْ ءَاذَنَ لَكُمْۖ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَمَكْرࣱ مَّكَرْتُمُوهُ فِي ٱلْمَدِينَةِ لِتُخْرِجُوا۟ مِنْهَآ أَهْلَهَاۖ فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ

لَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُم مِّنْ خِلَٰفࣲ ثُمَّ لَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ

قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا مُنقَلِبُونَ

وَمَا تَنقِمُ مِنَّآ إِلَّآ أَنْ ءَامَنَّا بِـَٔايَٰتِ رَبِّنَا لَمَّا جَآءَتْنَاۚ رَبَّنَآ أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرࣰا وَتَوَفَّنَا مُسْلِمِينَ

The leaders among Pharaoh’s people said to him, ‘But are you going to leave Moses and his people to spread corruption in the land and forsake you and your gods?’ He replied, ‘We shall kill their male children, sparing only the females: We have complete power over them.’

Moses said to his people, ‘Turn to God for help and be steadfast: the earth belongs to God- He gives it as their own to whichever of His servants He chooses- and the happy future belongs to those who are mindful of Him,’

and they replied, ‘We were being persecuted long before you came to us, and since then too.’ He said, ‘Your Lord may well destroy your enemy and make you successors to the land to see how you behave.’

وَقَالَ ٱلْمَلَأُ مِن قَوْمِ فِرْعَوْنَ أَتَذَرُ مُوسَىٰ وَقَوْمَهُۥ لِيُفْسِدُوا۟ فِي ٱلْأَرْضِ وَيَذَرَكَ وَءَالِهَتَكَۚ قَالَ سَنُقَتِّلُ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ وَنَسْتَحْيِۦ نِسَآءَهُمْ وَإِنَّا فَوْقَهُمْ قَٰهِرُونَ

قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ ٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱصْبِرُوٓا۟ۖ إِنَّ ٱلْأَرْضَ لِلَّهِ يُورِثُهَا مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦۖ وَٱلْعَٰقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

قَالُوٓا۟ أُوذِينَا مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَأْتِيَنَا وَمِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جِئْتَنَاۚ قَالَ عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُهْلِكَ عَدُوَّكُمْ وَيَسْتَخْلِفَكُمْ فِي ٱلْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرَ كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ

We inflicted years of drought and crop failure on Pharaoh’s people, so that they might take heed,

then, when something good came their way, they said, ‘This is our due!’. When something bad came, they ascribed it to the evil omen of Moses and those with him, but their ‘evil omen’ was really from God, though most of them did not realize it.

They said, ‘We will not believe in you, no matter what signs you produce to cast a spell on us,’

and so We let loose on them the flood, locusts, lice, frogs, blood- all clear signs. They were arrogant, wicked people.

They would say, whenever a plague struck them, ‘Moses, pray to your Lord for us by virtue of the promise He has made to you: if you relieve us of the plague, we will believe you and let the Children of Israel go with you,’

but when We relieved them of the plague and gave them a fixed period [in which to fulfil their promise]- lo and behold!- they broke it.

And so, because they rejected Our signs and paid them no heed, We exacted retribution from them: We drowned them in the sea

and We made those who had been oppressed succeed to both the east and the west of the land that We had blessed. Your Lord’s good promise to the Children of Israel was fulfilled, because of their patience, and We destroyed what Pharaoh and his people were making and what they were building.

وَلَقَدْ أَخَذْنَآ ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ بِٱلسِّنِينَ وَنَقْصࣲ مِّنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ

فَإِذَا جَآءَتْهُمُ ٱلْحَسَنَةُ قَالُوا۟ لَنَا هَٰذِهِۦۖ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةࣱ يَطَّيَّرُوا۟ بِمُوسَىٰ وَمَن مَّعَهُۥٓۗ أَلَآ إِنَّمَا طَٰٓئِرُهُمْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

وَقَالُوا۟ مَهْمَا تَأْتِنَا بِهِۦ مِنْ ءَايَةࣲ لِّتَسْحَرَنَا بِهَا فَمَا نَحْنُ لَكَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ

فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلطُّوفَانَ وَٱلْجَرَادَ وَٱلْقُمَّلَ وَٱلضَّفَادِعَ وَٱلدَّمَ ءَايَٰتࣲ مُّفَصَّلَٰتࣲ فَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ وَكَانُوا۟ قَوْمࣰا مُّجْرِمِينَ

وَلَمَّا وَقَعَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلرِّجْزُ قَالُوا۟ يَٰمُوسَى ٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ بِمَا عَهِدَ عِندَكَۖ لَئِن كَشَفْتَ عَنَّا ٱلرِّجْزَ لَنُؤْمِنَنَّ لَكَ وَلَنُرْسِلَنَّ مَعَكَ بَنِيٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ

فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمُ ٱلرِّجْزَ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ هُم بَٰلِغُوهُ إِذَا هُمْ يَنكُثُونَ

فَٱنتَقَمْنَا مِنْهُمْ فَأَغْرَقْنَٰهُمْ فِي ٱلْيَمِّ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا وَكَانُوا۟ عَنْهَا غَٰفِلِينَ

وَأَوْرَثْنَا ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَانُوا۟ يُسْتَضْعَفُونَ مَشَٰرِقَ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَغَٰرِبَهَا ٱلَّتِي بَٰرَكْنَا فِيهَاۖ وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ عَلَىٰ بَنِيٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ بِمَا صَبَرُوا۟ۖ وَدَمَّرْنَا مَا كَانَ يَصْنَعُ فِرْعَوْنُ وَقَوْمُهُۥ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْرِشُونَ

We took the Children of Israel across the sea, but when they came upon a people who worshipped idols, they said, ‘Moses, make a god for us like theirs.’ He said, ‘You really are foolish people:

[the cult] these people practise is doomed to destruction, and what they have been doing is useless.

Why should I seek any god other than God for you, when He has favoured you over all other people?’

Remember how We saved you from Pharaoh’s people, who were subjecting you to the worst of sufferings, killing your male children, sparing only your females- that was a mighty ordeal from your Lord.

وَجَٰوَزْنَا بِبَنِيٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱلْبَحْرَ فَأَتَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ قَوْمࣲ يَعْكُفُونَ عَلَىٰٓ أَصْنَامࣲ لَّهُمْۚ قَالُوا۟ يَٰمُوسَى ٱجْعَل لَّنَآ إِلَٰهࣰا كَمَا لَهُمْ ءَالِهَةࣱۚ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمࣱ تَجْهَلُونَ

إِنَّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ مُتَبَّرࣱ مَّا هُمْ فِيهِ وَبَٰطِلࣱ مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ

قَالَ أَغَيْرَ ٱللَّهِ أَبْغِيكُمْ إِلَٰهࣰا وَهُوَ فَضَّلَكُمْ عَلَى ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ

وَإِذْ أَنجَيْنَٰكُم مِّنْ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوٓءَ ٱلْعَذَابِ يُقَتِّلُونَ أَبْنَآءَكُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ نِسَآءَكُمْۚ وَفِي ذَٰلِكُم بَلَآءࣱ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ عَظِيمࣱ