Verse 20:69 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

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.’ 71 قَالَ ءَامَنتُمۡ لَهُۥ قَبۡلَ أَنۡ ءَاذَنَ لَكُمۡۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَكَبِیرُكُمُ ٱلَّذِی عَلَّمَكُمُ ٱلسِّحۡرَۖ فَلَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَیۡدِیَكُمۡ وَأَرۡجُلَكُم مِّنۡ خِلَـٰفࣲ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمۡ فِی جُذُوعِ ٱلنَّخۡلِ وَلَتَعۡلَمُنَّ أَیُّنَاۤ أَشَدُّ عَذَابࣰا وَأَبۡقَىٰ ۝٧١ qāla āmantum lahu qabla an ādhana lakum innahu lakabīrukumu alladhī ʿallamakumu l-siḥ'ra fala-uqaṭṭiʿanna aydiyakum wa-arjulakum min khilāfin wala-uṣallibannakum fī judhūʿi l-nakhli walataʿlamunna ayyunā ashaddu ʿadhāban wa-abq Pharaoh said, ‘How dare you believe in him before I have given you permission? This must be your master, the man who taught you witchcraft. I shall certainly cut off your alternate hands and feet, then crucify you on the trunks of palm trees. You will know for certain which of us has the fiercer and more lasting punishment.’ 72 قَالُوا۟ لَن نُّؤۡثِرَكَ عَلَىٰ مَا جَاۤءَنَا مِنَ ٱلۡبَیِّنَـٰتِ وَٱلَّذِی فَطَرَنَاۖ فَٱقۡضِ مَاۤ أَنتَ قَاضٍۖ إِنَّمَا تَقۡضِی هَـٰذِهِ ٱلۡحَیَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡیَاۤ ۝٧٢ qālū lan nu'thiraka ʿalā mā jāanā mina l-bayināti wa-alladhī faṭaranā fa-iq'ḍi mā anta qāḍin innamā taqḍī hādhihi l-ḥayata l-dun'y They said, ‘We shall never prefer you to the clear sign that has come to us, nor to Him who created us. So decide whatever you will: you can only decide matters of this present life 73 إِنَّاۤ ءَامَنَّا بِرَبِّنَا لِیَغۡفِرَ لَنَا خَطَـٰیَـٰنَا وَمَاۤ أَكۡرَهۡتَنَا عَلَیۡهِ مِنَ ٱلسِّحۡرِۗ وَٱللَّهُ خَیۡرࣱ وَأَبۡقَىٰۤ ۝٧٣ innā āmannā birabbinā liyaghfira lanā khaṭāyānā wamā akrahtanā ʿalayhi mina l-siḥ'ri wal-lahu khayrun wa-abq we believe in our Lord, [hoping] He may forgive us our sins and the sorcery that you forced us to practise- God is better and more lasting.’