وَثَمودُ وَقَومُ لوطٍ وَأَصحابُ الأَيكَةِ ۚ أُولـٰئِكَ الأَحزابُ

So did Thamud, the people of Lot, and the dwellers of the woods—these were the alliances.

إِن كُلٌّ إِلّا كَذَّبَ الرُّسُلَ فَحَقَّ عِقابِ

All of them denied the messengers, so my retribution was justified.

وَما يَنظُرُ هـٰؤُلاءِ إِلّا صَيحَةً واحِدَةً ما لَها مِن فَواقٍ

They await but a single blast, from which there is no recovery.

وَقالوا رَبَّنا عَجِّل لَنا قِطَّنا قَبلَ يَومِ الحِسابِ

They demand, “Our Lord, expedite our portion before the Day of Reckoning.”

اصبِر عَلىٰ ما يَقولونَ وَاذكُر عَبدَنا داوودَ ذَا الأَيدِ ۖ إِنَّهُ أَوّابٌ

Be patient over what they say, and remember Our servant David, the man of strength; he was devout.

وَالطَّيرَ مَحشورَةً ۖ كُلٌّ لَهُ أَوّابٌ

And the birds gathered, all are attentive to him.

وَشَدَدنا مُلكَهُ وَآتَيناهُ الحِكمَةَ وَفَصلَ الخِطابِ

We strengthened his kingdom and granted him wisdom and decisive speech.

وَهَل أَتاكَ نَبَأُ الخَصمِ إِذ تَسَوَّرُوا المِحرابَ

Did you hear of the litigants who scaled the sanctuary?

إِذ دَخَلوا عَلىٰ داوودَ فَفَزِعَ مِنهُم ۖ قالوا لا تَخَف ۖ خَصمانِ بَغىٰ بَعضُنا عَلىٰ بَعضٍ فَاحكُم بَينَنا بِالحَقِّ وَلا تُشطِط وَاهدِنا إِلىٰ سَواءِ الصِّراطِ

They startled David when they entered upon him. They said, “Fear not. We are two litigants; one has wronged the other. Judge justly between us, show no bias, and guide us to the right way.”

إِنَّ هـٰذا أَخي لَهُ تِسعٌ وَتِسعونَ نَعجَةً وَلِيَ نَعجَةٌ واحِدَةٌ فَقالَ أَكفِلنيها وَعَزَّني فِي الخِطابِ

“My brother has ninety-nine ewes, while I have only one. Yet he insisted, ‘Entrust it to me,’ and he overpowered me in speech.”