For now hath it been revealed to us, that chastisement shall be on him who chargeth with falsehood, and turneth him away.”’

And he said, “Who is your Lord, O Moses?”

He said, “Our Lord is He who hath given to everything its form and then guideth it aright.”

“But what,” said he, “was the state of generations past?”¹⁰

He said, “The knowledge thereof is with my Lord in the Book of his decrees. My Lord erreth not, nor forgetteth.

He hath spread the earth as a bed, and hath traced out paths for you therein, and hath sent down rain from Heaven, and by it we bring forth the kinds¹¹ of various herbs:

—‘Eat ye, and feed your cattle.’ Of a truth in this are signs unto men endued with understanding.

From it have we created you, and into it will we return you, and out of it will we bring you forth a second time.”¹²

And we shewed him all our signs: but he treated them as falsehoods, and refused to believe.

He said, “Hast thou come, O Moses, to drive us from our land by thine enchantments?

Therefore will we assuredly confront thee with like enchantments: so appoint a meeting between us and you—we will not fail it, we, and do not thou—in a place alike for both.”

He said, “On the feast day¹³ be your meeting, and in broad daylight let the people be assembled.”

And Pharaoh turned away, and collected his craftsmen and came.

Said Moses to them, “Woe to you! devise not a lie against God:

For then will he destroy you by a punishment. They who have lied have ever perished.”

And the magicians discussed their plan, and spake apart in secret:

They said, “These two are surely sorcerers: fain would they drive you from your land by their sorceries, and lead away in their paths your chiefest men:

So muster your craft: then come in order: well this day shall it be for him, who shall gain the upper hand.”

They said, “O Moses, wilt thou first cast down thy rod, or shall we be the first who cast?”

He said, “Yes, cast ye down first.” And lo! by their enchantment their cords and rods seemed to him as if they ran.

And Moses conceived a secret fear within him.

We said, “Fear not, for thou shalt be the uppermost:

Cast forth then what is in thy right hand: it shall swallow up what they have produced: they have only produced the deceit of an enchanter: and come where he may, ill shall an enchanter fare.”

And the magicians fell down and worshipped. They said,

“We believe in the Lord of Aaron and of Moses.”