SAY: Can I announce to you any retribution worse than that which awaiteth them with God? They whom God hath cursed and with whom He hath been angry- some of them hath He changed into apes and swine; and they who worship Thagout are in evil plight, and have gone far astray from the right path!
When they presented themselves to you they said, "We believe;" but Infidels they came in unto you, and Infidels they went forth! God well knew what they concealed.
Many of them shalt thou see hastening together to wickedness and malice, and to eat unlawful things. Shame on them for what they have done!
Had not their doctors and teachers forbidden their uttering wickedness, and their eating unlawful food, bad indeed would have been their doings!
"The hand of God," say the Jews, "is chained up."24 Their own hands shall be chained up-and for that which they have said shall they be cursed. Nay! outstretched are both His hands! At His own pleasure does He bestow gifts. That which hath been sent down to thee from thy Lord will surely increase the rebellion and unbelief of many of them; and we have put enmity and hatred between them that shall last till the day of the Resurrection. Oft as they kindle a beacon fire for war shall God quench it! and their aim will be to abet disorder on the earth: but God loveth not the abettors of disorder.
But if the people of the Book believe and have the fear of God, we will surely put away their sins from them, and will bring them into gardens of delight: and if that they observe the law and the Evangel, and what hath been sent down to them from their Lord, they shall surely have their fill of good things from above them and from beneath their feet. Some there are among them who act aright; but many of them-how evil are their doings!
O Apostle! proclaim all that hath been sent down to thee from thy Lord: for if thou do it not, thou hast not proclaimed His message at all. And God will protect thee from evil men: verily, God guideth not the unbelievers.
SAY: O people of the Book! ye have no ground to stand on, until ye observe the Law and the Evangel, and that which hath been sent down to you from your Lord.25 The Book which hath been sent down to thee from thy Lord will certainly increase the rebellion and unbelief of many of them; but, be not thou troubled for the unbelievers.
Verily, they who believe, and the Jews, and the Sabeites,26 and the Christians-whoever of them believeth in God and in the last day, and doth what is right, on them shall come no fear, neither shall they be put to grief.
Of old we accepted the covenant of the children of Israel, and sent Apostles to them. Oft as an Apostle came to them with that for which they had no desire, some they treated as liars, and some they slew;27