فَبَدَّلَ الَّذينَ ظَلَموا مِنهُم قَولًا غَيرَ الَّذي قيلَ لَهُم فَأَرسَلنا عَلَيهِم رِجزًا مِنَ السَّماءِ بِما كانوا يَظلِمونَ

But the wrongdoers among them changed the words they were given to something different, so We sent down upon them a punishment from the sky due to their wrongdoing.

وَاسأَلهُم عَنِ القَريَةِ الَّتي كانَت حاضِرَةَ البَحرِ إِذ يَعدونَ فِي السَّبتِ إِذ تَأتيهِم حيتانُهُم يَومَ سَبتِهِم شُرَّعًا وَيَومَ لا يَسبِتونَ ۙ لا تَأتيهِم ۚ كَذٰلِكَ نَبلوهُم بِما كانوا يَفسُقونَ

Ask them about the town by the sea, where they violated the Sabbath. Fish would surface in abundance on their Sabbath days, but not on the days they didn’t observe the Sabbath. We tested them in this manner due to their defiance.

وَإِذ قالَت أُمَّةٌ مِنهُم لِمَ تَعِظونَ قَومًا ۙ اللَّهُ مُهلِكُهُم أَو مُعَذِّبُهُم عَذابًا شَديدًا ۖ قالوا مَعذِرَةً إِلىٰ رَبِّكُم وَلَعَلَّهُم يَتَّقونَ

Some of them questioned, “Why do you preach to people whom God is about to destroy or punish severely?” They replied, “To have an excuse before your Lord, and perhaps they may become righteous.”

فَلَمّا نَسوا ما ذُكِّروا بِهِ أَنجَينَا الَّذينَ يَنهَونَ عَنِ السّوءِ وَأَخَذنَا الَّذينَ ظَلَموا بِعَذابٍ بَئيسٍ بِما كانوا يَفسُقونَ

So, when they forgot what they had been reminded of, We saved those who prohibited wrong, and We seized those who did wrong with a severe punishment because they were transgressors.

فَلَمّا عَتَوا عَن ما نُهوا عَنهُ قُلنا لَهُم كونوا قِرَدَةً خاسِئينَ

And when they continued disregarding the reminders, We said to them, “Be despicable apes.”

وَقَطَّعناهُم فِي الأَرضِ أُمَمًا ۖ مِنهُمُ الصّالِحونَ وَمِنهُم دونَ ذٰلِكَ ۖ وَبَلَوناهُم بِالحَسَناتِ وَالسَّيِّئَاتِ لَعَلَّهُم يَرجِعونَ

We dispersed them into communities throughout the earth. Some of them are righteous, while some are less so. We tested them with both good and bad circumstances, so they might return.

فَخَلَفَ مِن بَعدِهِم خَلفٌ وَرِثُوا الكِتابَ يَأخُذونَ عَرَضَ هـٰذَا الأَدنىٰ وَيَقولونَ سَيُغفَرُ لَنا وَإِن يَأتِهِم عَرَضٌ مِثلُهُ يَأخُذوهُ ۚ أَلَم يُؤخَذ عَلَيهِم ميثاقُ الكِتابِ أَن لا يَقولوا عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلَّا الحَقَّ وَدَرَسوا ما فيهِ ۗ وَالدّارُ الآخِرَةُ خَيرٌ لِلَّذينَ يَتَّقونَ ۗ أَفَلا تَعقِلونَ

After them, succeeded generations who inherited the Scripture, they chose the fleeting pleasures of this world, saying, “We will be forgiven.” And if similar pleasures came their way, they would again seize them. Weren’t they bound by a covenant to uphold the Scripture and to speak nothing but the truth about God? Didn’t they study what was in it? The home of the Hereafter is better for the righteous. Don’t you understand?

وَالَّذينَ يُمَسِّكونَ بِالكِتابِ وَأَقامُوا الصَّلاةَ إِنّا لا نُضيعُ أَجرَ المُصلِحينَ

Those who adhere to the Scripture and perform prayers—We won’t let the reward of the reformers be lost.

وَإِذ نَتَقنَا الجَبَلَ فَوقَهُم كَأَنَّهُ ظُلَّةٌ وَظَنّوا أَنَّهُ واقِعٌ بِهِم خُذوا ما آتَيناكُم بِقُوَّةٍ وَاذكُروا ما فيهِ لَعَلَّكُم تَتَّقونَ

We held the mountain over them like a canopy, and they feared it would fall upon them. “Hold firmly to what We’ve given you, and remember what’s in it, so you may be protected.”

وَإِذ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِن بَني آدَمَ مِن ظُهورِهِم ذُرِّيَّتَهُم وَأَشهَدَهُم عَلىٰ أَنفُسِهِم أَلَستُ بِرَبِّكُم ۖ قالوا بَلىٰ ۛ شَهِدنا ۛ أَن تَقولوا يَومَ القِيامَةِ إِنّا كُنّا عَن هـٰذا غافِلينَ

And when your Lord took out from the children of Adam—from their loins—their descendants and made them testify of themselves: “Am I not your Lord?” They responded, “Yes, we testify.” Lest you should say on the Resurrection Day, “We were unaware of this.”