أَتَبنونَ بِكُلِّ ريعٍ آيَةً تَعبَثونَ

You erect monuments on every hill in vanity.

وَتَتَّخِذونَ مَصانِعَ لَعَلَّكُم تَخلُدونَ

And you build strongholds, as if you will live forever.

وَإِذا بَطَشتُم بَطَشتُم جَبّارينَ

And when you strike, you strike mercilessly.

فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطيعونِ

So fear God, and obey me.

وَاتَّقُوا الَّذي أَمَدَّكُم بِما تَعلَمونَ

Fear Him who supplied you with what you know.

وَجَنّاتٍ وَعُيونٍ

And gardens, and springs.

إِنّي أَخافُ عَلَيكُم عَذابَ يَومٍ عَظيمٍ

I fear for you the punishment of a tremendous day.”

قالوا سَواءٌ عَلَينا أَوَعَظتَ أَم لَم تَكُن مِنَ الواعِظينَ

They responded, “It makes no difference to us whether you lecture us or not.

إِن هـٰذا إِلّا خُلُقُ الأَوَّلينَ

This is nothing but the traditions of the ancients.

وَما نَحنُ بِمُعَذَّبينَ

And we are not to be punished.”