Verse 20:66 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

62 فَتَنَـٰزَعُوۤا۟ أَمۡرَهُم بَیۡنَهُمۡ وَأَسَرُّوا۟ ٱلنَّجۡوَىٰ ۝٦٢ fatanāzaʿū amrahum baynahum wa-asarrū l-najw So they discussed their plan among themselves, talking secretly 63 قَالُوۤا۟ إِنۡ هَـٰذَ ٰنِ لَسَـٰحِرَ ٰنِ یُرِیدَانِ أَن یُخۡرِجَاكُم مِّنۡ أَرۡضِكُم بِسِحۡرِهِمَا وَیَذۡهَبَا بِطَرِیقَتِكُمُ ٱلۡمُثۡلَىٰ ۝٦٣ qālū in hādhāni lasāḥirāni yurīdāni an yukh'rijākum min arḍikum bisiḥ'rihimā wayadhhabā biṭarīqatikumu l-muth'l saying, ‘These two men are sorcerers. Their purpose is to drive you out of your land with their sorcery and put an end to your time-honoured way of life 64 فَأَجۡمِعُوا۟ كَیۡدَكُمۡ ثُمَّ ٱئۡتُوا۟ صَفࣰّاۚ وَقَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ ٱلۡیَوۡمَ مَنِ ٱسۡتَعۡلَىٰ ۝٦٤ fa-ajmiʿū kaydakum thumma i'tū ṣaffan waqad aflaḥa l-yawma mani is'taʿl So gather your resources and line up for the contest. Whoever wins today is sure to prosper.’ 65 قَالُوا۟ یَـٰمُوسَىٰۤ إِمَّاۤ أَن تُلۡقِیَ وَإِمَّاۤ أَن نَّكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنۡ أَلۡقَىٰ ۝٦٥ qālū yāmūsā immā an tul'qiya wa-immā an nakūna awwala man alq They said, ‘Moses, will you throw first or shall we?’

66 قَالَ بَلۡ أَلۡقُوا۟ۖ فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمۡ وَعِصِیُّهُمۡ یُخَیَّلُ إِلَیۡهِ مِن سِحۡرِهِمۡ أَنَّهَا تَسۡعَىٰ ۝٦٦ qāla bal alqū fa-idhā ḥibāluhum waʿiṣiyyuhum yukhayyalu ilayhi min siḥ'rihim annahā tasʿ ‘You throw,’ said Moses, and––lo and behold!––through their sorcery, their ropes and staffs seemed to him to be moving

67 فَأَوۡجَسَ فِی نَفۡسِهِۦ خِیفَةࣰ مُّوسَىٰ ۝٦٧ fa-awjasa fī nafsihi khīfatan mūs Moses was inwardly alarmed 68 قُلۡنَا لَا تَخَفۡ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰ ۝٦٨ qul'nā lā takhaf innaka anta l-aʿl but We said, ‘Do not be afraid, you have the upper hand 69 وَأَلۡقِ مَا فِی یَمِینِكَ تَلۡقَفۡ مَا صَنَعُوۤا۟ۖ إِنَّمَا صَنَعُوا۟ كَیۡدُ سَـٰحِرࣲۖ وَلَا یُفۡلِحُ ٱلسَّاحِرُ حَیۡثُ أَتَىٰ ۝٦٩ wa-alqi mā fī yamīnika talqaf mā ṣanaʿū innamā ṣanaʿū kaydu sāḥirin walā yuf'liḥu l-sāḥiru ḥaythu at Throw down what is in your right hand: it will swallow up what they have produced. They have only produced the tricks of a sorcerer, and a sorcerer will not prosper, wherever he goes.’ 70 فَأُلۡقِیَ ٱلسَّحَرَةُ سُجَّدࣰا قَالُوۤا۟ ءَامَنَّا بِرَبِّ هَـٰرُونَ وَمُوسَىٰ ۝٧٠ fa-ul'qiya l-saḥaratu sujjadan qālū āmannā birabbi hārūna wamūs [So it was, and] the sorcerers threw themselves down in submission. ‘We believe,’ they said, ‘in the Lord of Aaron and Moses.’