وَإِنّي لَغَفّارٌ لِمَن تابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صالِحًا ثُمَّ اهتَدىٰ

I am forgiving to whoever repents, believes, acts righteously, then becomes guided.

وَما أَعجَلَكَ عَن قَومِكَ يا موسىٰ

“Why did you rush ahead of your people, O Moses?”

قالَ هُم أُولاءِ عَلىٰ أَثَري وَعَجِلتُ إِلَيكَ رَبِّ لِتَرضىٰ

He replied, “They are on my tracks. I rushed to You, my Lord, so that You might be pleased.”

قالَ فَإِنّا قَد فَتَنّا قَومَكَ مِن بَعدِكَ وَأَضَلَّهُمُ السّامِرِيُّ

He said, “We’ve tested your people in your absence, and the Samarian led them astray.”

فَرَجَعَ موسىٰ إِلىٰ قَومِهِ غَضبانَ أَسِفًا ۚ قالَ يا قَومِ أَلَم يَعِدكُم رَبُّكُم وَعدًا حَسَنًا ۚ أَفَطالَ عَلَيكُمُ العَهدُ أَم أَرَدتُم أَن يَحِلَّ عَلَيكُم غَضَبٌ مِن رَبِّكُم فَأَخلَفتُم مَوعِدي

Moses returned to his people, angry and grieved. He said, “O my people, didn’t your Lord make a good promise to you? Did the promise appear too distant to you, or did you wish that wrath from your Lord descends upon you, that you broke your promise to me?”

فَأَخرَجَ لَهُم عِجلًا جَسَدًا لَهُ خُوارٌ فَقالوا هـٰذا إِلـٰهُكُم وَإِلـٰهُ موسىٰ فَنَسِيَ

Then he produced for them a statue of a calf which made a mooing sound. They said, “This is your god and the god of Moses, but he forgot.”

أَفَلا يَرَونَ أَلّا يَرجِعُ إِلَيهِم قَولًا وَلا يَملِكُ لَهُم ضَرًّا وَلا نَفعًا

Didn’t they see that it could neither respond to them nor bring them harm or benefit?

وَلَقَد قالَ لَهُم هارونُ مِن قَبلُ يا قَومِ إِنَّما فُتِنتُم بِهِ ۖ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ الرَّحمـٰنُ فَاتَّبِعوني وَأَطيعوا أَمري

Aaron had already pleaded with them, “O my people, you are being tested by this. Your Lord is the Most Gracious, so follow me and obey my order.”

قالوا لَن نَبرَحَ عَلَيهِ عاكِفينَ حَتّىٰ يَرجِعَ إِلَينا موسىٰ

They replied, “We won’t cease our devotion to it until Moses returns to us.”

قالَ يا هارونُ ما مَنَعَكَ إِذ رَأَيتَهُم ضَلّوا

He said, “O Aaron, what prevented you when you saw them straying?