Verse 28:23 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

19 فَلَمَّاۤ أَنۡ أَرَادَ أَن یَبۡطِشَ بِٱلَّذِی هُوَ عَدُوࣱّ لَّهُمَا قَالَ یَـٰمُوسَىٰۤ أَتُرِیدُ أَن تَقۡتُلَنِی كَمَا قَتَلۡتَ نَفۡسَۢا بِٱلۡأَمۡسِۖ إِن تُرِیدُ إِلَّاۤ أَن تَكُونَ جَبَّارࣰا فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا تُرِیدُ أَن تَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُصۡلِحِینَ ۝١٩ falammā an arāda an yabṭisha bi-alladhī huwa ʿaduwwun lahumā qāla yāmūsā aturīdu an taqtulanī kamā qatalta nafsan bil-amsi in turīdu illā an takūna jabbāran fī l-arḍi wamā turīdu an takūna mina l-muṣ'liḥīn As he was about to attack the man who was an enemy to both of them, the man said, ‘Moses, are you going to kill me as you killed that person yesterday? You clearly want to be a tyrant in the land; you do not intend to put things right.’ 20 وَجَاۤءَ رَجُلࣱ مِّنۡ أَقۡصَا ٱلۡمَدِینَةِ یَسۡعَىٰ قَالَ یَـٰمُوسَىٰۤ إِنَّ ٱلۡمَلَأَ یَأۡتَمِرُونَ بِكَ لِیَقۡتُلُوكَ فَٱخۡرُجۡ إِنِّی لَكَ مِنَ ٱلنَّـٰصِحِینَ ۝٢٠ wajāa rajulun min aqṣā l-madīnati yasʿā qāla yāmūsā inna l-mala-a yatamirūna bika liyaqtulūka fa-ukh'ruj innī laka mina l-nāṣiḥīn Then a man came running from the furthest part of the city and said, ‘Moses, the authorities are talking about killing you, so leave- this is my sincere advice.’ 21 فَخَرَجَ مِنۡهَا خَاۤىِٕفࣰا یَتَرَقَّبُۖ قَالَ رَبِّ نَجِّنِی مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِینَ ۝٢١ fakharaja min'hā khāifan yataraqqabu qāla rabbi najjinī mina l-qawmi l-ẓālimīn So Moses left the city, fearful and wary, and prayed, ‘My Lord, save me from people who do wrong.’ 22 وَلَمَّا تَوَجَّهَ تِلۡقَاۤءَ مَدۡیَنَ قَالَ عَسَىٰ رَبِّیۤ أَن یَهۡدِیَنِی سَوَاۤءَ ٱلسَّبِیلِ ۝٢٢ walammā tawajjaha til'qāa madyana qāla ʿasā rabbī an yahdiyanī sawāa l-sabīl As he made his way towards Midian, he was saying, ‘May my Lord guide me to the right way.’

23 وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ مَاۤءَ مَدۡیَنَ وَجَدَ عَلَیۡهِ أُمَّةࣰ مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ یَسۡقُونَ وَوَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمُ ٱمۡرَأَتَیۡنِ تَذُودَانِۖ قَالَ مَا خَطۡبُكُمَاۖ قَالَتَا لَا نَسۡقِی حَتَّىٰ یُصۡدِرَ ٱلرِّعَاۤءُۖ وَأَبُونَا شَیۡخࣱ كَبِیرࣱ ۝٢٣ walammā warada māa madyana wajada ʿalayhi ummatan mina l-nāsi yasqūna wawajada min dūnihimu im'ra-atayni tadhūdāni qāla mā khaṭbukumā qālatā lā nasqī ḥattā yuṣ'dira l-riʿāu wa-abūnā shaykhun kabīru When he arrived at Midian’s waters, he found a group of men watering [their flocks], and beside them two women keeping their flocks back, so he said, ‘What is the matter with you two?’ They said, ‘We cannot water [our flocks] until the shepherds take their sheep away: our father is a very old man.’

24 فَسَقَىٰ لَهُمَا ثُمَّ تَوَلَّىٰۤ إِلَى ٱلظِّلِّ فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّی لِمَاۤ أَنزَلۡتَ إِلَیَّ مِنۡ خَیۡرࣲ فَقِیرࣱ ۝٢٤ fasaqā lahumā thumma tawallā ilā l-ẓili faqāla rabbi innī limā anzalta ilayya min khayrin faqīru He watered their flocks for them, withdrew into the shade, and prayed, ‘My Lord, I am in dire need of whatever good thing You may send me,’ 25 فَجَاۤءَتۡهُ إِحۡدَىٰهُمَا تَمۡشِی عَلَى ٱسۡتِحۡیَاۤءࣲ قَالَتۡ إِنَّ أَبِی یَدۡعُوكَ لِیَجۡزِیَكَ أَجۡرَ مَا سَقَیۡتَ لَنَاۚ فَلَمَّا جَاۤءَهُۥ وَقَصَّ عَلَیۡهِ ٱلۡقَصَصَ قَالَ لَا تَخَفۡۖ نَجَوۡتَ مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِینَ ۝٢٥ fajāathu iḥ'dāhumā tamshī ʿalā is'tiḥ'yāin qālat inna abī yadʿūka liyajziyaka ajra mā saqayta lanā falammā jāahu waqaṣṣa ʿalayhi l-qaṣaṣa qāla lā takhaf najawta mina l-qawmi l-ẓālimīn and then one of the two women approached him, walking shyly, and said, ‘My father is asking for you: he wants to reward you for watering our flocks for us.’ When Moses came to him and told him his story, the old man said, ‘Do not be afraid, you are safe now from people who do wrong.’ 26 قَالَتۡ إِحۡدَىٰهُمَا یَـٰۤأَبَتِ ٱسۡتَءۡجِرۡهُۖ إِنَّ خَیۡرَ مَنِ ٱسۡتَءۡجَرۡتَ ٱلۡقَوِیُّ ٱلۡأَمِینُ ۝٢٦ qālat iḥ'dāhumā yāabati is'tajir'hu inna khayra mani is'tajarta l-qawiyu l-amīn One of the women said, ‘Father, hire him: a strong, trustworthy man is the best to hire.’ 27 قَالَ إِنِّیۤ أُرِیدُ أَنۡ أُنكِحَكَ إِحۡدَى ٱبۡنَتَیَّ هَـٰتَیۡنِ عَلَىٰۤ أَن تَأۡجُرَنِی ثَمَـٰنِیَ حِجَجࣲۖ فَإِنۡ أَتۡمَمۡتَ عَشۡرࣰا فَمِنۡ عِندِكَۖ وَمَاۤ أُرِیدُ أَنۡ أَشُقَّ عَلَیۡكَۚ سَتَجِدُنِیۤ إِن شَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِینَ ۝٢٧ qāla innī urīdu an unkiḥaka iḥ'dā ib'natayya hātayni ʿalā an tajuranī thamāniya ḥijajin fa-in atmamta ʿashran famin ʿindika wamā urīdu an ashuqqa ʿalayka satajidunī in shāa l-lahu mina l-ṣāliḥīn The father said, ‘I would like to marry you to one of these daughters of mine, on condition that you serve me for eight years: if you complete ten, it will be of your own free will. I do not intend to make things difficult for you: God willing, you will find I am a fair man.’