The avenues of the heavens, and may mount to the God of Moses, for I verily deem him a liar.”

And thus the evil of his doings was made fair-seeming to Pharaoh, and he turned away from the path of truth; but the artifice of Pharaoh ended only in his ruin.

And he who believed said, “O my people! follow me: into the right way will I guide you.

O my people! this present life is only a passing joy, but the life to come is the mansion that abideth.

Whose shall have wrought evil shall not be recompensed but with its like; but whoso shall have done the things that are right, whether male or female, and is a believer—these shall enter paradise: good things unreckoned shall they enjoy therein.

And, O my people! how is it that I bid you to salvation, but that ye bid me to the fire?

Ye invite me to deny God, and to join with him gods of whom I know nothing; but I invite you to the Mighty, the Forgiving.

No doubt is there that they to whom ye invite me are not to be invoked either in this world or in the world to come: and that unto God is our return, and that the transgressors shall be the inmates of the fire.

Then shall ye remember what I am saying unto you: and to God commit I my case: Verily, God beholdeth his servants.”

So God preserved him from the evils which they had planned, and the woe of the punishment encompassed the people of Pharaoh.

It is the fire to which they shall be exposed morning and evening, and on the day when “the Hour” shall arrive—“Bring in the people of Pharaoh into the severest punishment.” 50 And when they shall wrangle together in the fire, the weak shall say to those who had borne themselves so proudly, “It is you we followed: will ye therefore relieve us from aught of the fire?”

And those proud ones shall say, “Verily we are all in it; for now hath God judged between his servants.”

And they who are in the fire shall say to the keepers of Hell, “Implore your Lord that he would give us ease but for one day from this torment.”

They shall say, “Came not your apostles to you with the tokens?” They shall say, “Yes.” They shall say, “Cry ye then aloud for help:” but the cry of the unbelievers shall be only in vain.

Assuredly, in this present life will we succour our apostles and those who shall have believed, and on the day when the witnesses shall stand forth;

A day whereon the plea of the evil doers shall not avail them; but theirs shall be a curse, and theirs the woe of the abode in Hell.

And of old gave we Moses the guidance, and we made the children of Israel the heritors of the Book,—a guidance and warning to men endued with understanding.

Therefore be steadfast thou and patient; for true is the promise of God: and seek pardon for thy fault,⁹ and celebrate the praise of thy Lord at evening and at morning.

As to those who cavil at the signs of God without authority having reached them, nought is there but pride in their breasts: but they shall not succeed. Fly thou for refuge then to God, for He is the Hearer, the Beholder.