فَلَمّا جاءَهُم بِآياتِنا إِذا هُم مِنها يَضحَكونَ
But when he presented Our verses to them, they laughed at them.
وَما نُريهِم مِن آيَةٍ إِلّا هِيَ أَكبَرُ مِن أُختِها ۖ وَأَخَذناهُم بِالعَذابِ لَعَلَّهُم يَرجِعونَ
Every miracle We showed them was more significant than the one preceding it. And We afflicted them with plagues, so they might return.
وَقالوا يا أَيُّهَ السّاحِرُ ادعُ لَنا رَبَّكَ بِما عَهِدَ عِندَكَ إِنَّنا لَمُهتَدونَ
They pleaded, “O magician, pray to your Lord for us, according to the covenant He made with you, and we will be guided.”
فَلَمّا كَشَفنا عَنهُمُ العَذابَ إِذا هُم يَنكُثونَ
But when We relieved their affliction, they immediately broke their promise.
وَنادىٰ فِرعَونُ في قَومِهِ قالَ يا قَومِ أَلَيسَ لي مُلكُ مِصرَ وَهـٰذِهِ الأَنهارُ تَجري مِن تَحتي ۖ أَفَلا تُبصِرونَ
Pharaoh proclaimed among his people, “O my people, do I not rule Egypt, with these rivers flowing beneath me? Can’t you see?
أَم أَنا خَيرٌ مِن هـٰذَا الَّذي هُوَ مَهينٌ وَلا يَكادُ يُبينُ
Am I not superior to this pitiful wretch who can barely express himself?
فَلَولا أُلقِيَ عَلَيهِ أَسوِرَةٌ مِن ذَهَبٍ أَو جاءَ مَعَهُ المَلائِكَةُ مُقتَرِنينَ
Why were no gold bracelets dropped on him, or angels accompanying him in procession?”
فَاستَخَفَّ قَومَهُ فَأَطاعوهُ ۚ إِنَّهُم كانوا قَومًا فاسِقينَ
He fooled his people, and they obeyed him. They were a people prone to wrongdoing.
فَلَمّا آسَفونَا انتَقَمنا مِنهُم فَأَغرَقناهُم أَجمَعينَ
When they provoked Our wrath, We retaliated by drowning them all.
فَجَعَلناهُم سَلَفًا وَمَثَلًا لِلآخِرينَ
And We made them a precedent and an example for future generations.
وَلَمّا ضُرِبَ ابنُ مَريَمَ مَثَلًا إِذا قَومُكَ مِنهُ يَصِدّونَ
When the instance of Jesus, son of Mary, was cited, your people immediately jeered.