Verse 38:23 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

19 وَٱلطَّیۡرَ مَحۡشُورَةࣰۖ كُلࣱّ لَّهُۥۤ أَوَّابࣱ ۝١٩ wal-ṭayra maḥshūratan kullun lahu awwābu and the birds, too, in flocks, all echoed his praise 20 وَشَدَدۡنَا مُلۡكَهُۥ وَءَاتَیۡنَـٰهُ ٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ وَفَصۡلَ ٱلۡخِطَابِ ۝٢٠ washadadnā mul'kahu waātaynāhu l-ḥik'mata wafaṣla l-khiṭāb We strengthened his kingdom; We gave him wisdom and a decisive way of speaking 21 ۞ وَهَلۡ أَتَىٰكَ نَبَؤُا۟ ٱلۡخَصۡمِ إِذۡ تَسَوَّرُوا۟ ٱلۡمِحۡرَابَ ۝٢١ wahal atāka naba-u l-khaṣmi idh tasawwarū l-miḥ'rāb Have you heard the story of the two litigants who climbed into his private quarters 22 إِذۡ دَخَلُوا۟ عَلَىٰ دَاوُۥدَ فَفَزِعَ مِنۡهُمۡۖ قَالُوا۟ لَا تَخَفۡۖ خَصۡمَانِ بَغَىٰ بَعۡضُنَا عَلَىٰ بَعۡضࣲ فَٱحۡكُم بَیۡنَنَا بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَلَا تُشۡطِطۡ وَٱهۡدِنَاۤ إِلَىٰ سَوَاۤءِ ٱلصِّرَ ٰطِ ۝٢٢ idh dakhalū ʿalā dāwūda fafaziʿa min'hum qālū lā takhaf khaṣmāni baghā baʿḍunā ʿalā baʿḍin fa-uḥ'kum baynanā bil-ḥaqi walā tush'ṭiṭ wa-ih'dinā ilā sawāi l-ṣirāṭ When they reached David, he took fright, but they said, ‘Do not be afraid. We are two litigants, one of whom has wronged the other: judge between us fairly- do not be unjust- and guide us to the right path

23 إِنَّ هَـٰذَاۤ أَخِی لَهُۥ تِسۡعࣱ وَتِسۡعُونَ نَعۡجَةࣰ وَلِیَ نَعۡجَةࣱ وَ ٰحِدَةࣱ فَقَالَ أَكۡفِلۡنِیهَا وَعَزَّنِی فِی ٱلۡخِطَابِ ۝٢٣ inna hādhā akhī lahu tis'ʿun watis'ʿūna naʿjatan waliya naʿjatun wāḥidatun faqāla akfil'nīhā waʿazzanī fī l-khiṭāb This is my brother. He had ninety-nine ewes and I just the one, and he said, “Let me take charge of her,” and overpowered me with his words.’

24 قَالَ لَقَدۡ ظَلَمَكَ بِسُؤَالِ نَعۡجَتِكَ إِلَىٰ نِعَاجِهِۦۖ وَإِنَّ كَثِیرࣰا مِّنَ ٱلۡخُلَطَاۤءِ لَیَبۡغِی بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٍ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَقَلِیلࣱ مَّا هُمۡۗ وَظَنَّ دَاوُۥدُ أَنَّمَا فَتَنَّـٰهُ فَٱسۡتَغۡفَرَ رَبَّهُۥ وَ̅خَ̅رَّ̅ ̅رَ̅ا̅كِ̅عࣰ̅ا̅ وَأَنَابَ ۝٢٤ ۩ qāla laqad ẓalamaka bisuāli naʿjatika ilā niʿājihi wa-inna kathīran mina l-khulaṭāi layabghī baʿḍuhum ʿalā baʿḍin illā alladhīna āmanū waʿamilū l-ṣāliḥāti waqalīlun mā hum waẓanna dāwūdu annamā fatannāhu fa-is'taghfara rabbahu wakharra rākiʿan wa-anāb David said, ‘He has done you wrong by demanding to add your ewe to his flock. Many partners treat each other unfairly. Those who sincerely believe and do good deeds do not do this, but these are very few.’ [Then] David realized that We had been testing him, so he asked his Lord for forgiveness, fell down on his knees, and repented 25 فَغَفَرۡنَا لَهُۥ ذَ ٰلِكَۖ وَإِنَّ لَهُۥ عِندَنَا لَزُلۡفَىٰ وَحُسۡنَ مَءَابࣲ ۝٢٥ faghafarnā lahu dhālika wa-inna lahu ʿindanā lazul'fā waḥus'na maābi We forgave him [his misdeed]. His reward will be nearness to Us, a good place to return to 26 یَـٰدَاوُۥدُ إِنَّا جَعَلۡنَـٰكَ خَلِیفَةࣰ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَٱحۡكُم بَیۡنَ ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَلَا تَتَّبِعِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰ فَیُضِلَّكَ عَن سَبِیلِ ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِینَ یَضِلُّونَ عَن سَبِیلِ ٱللَّهِ لَهُمۡ عَذَابࣱ شَدِیدُۢ بِمَا نَسُوا۟ یَوۡمَ ٱلۡحِسَابِ ۝٢٦ yādāwūdu innā jaʿalnāka khalīfatan fī l-arḍi fa-uḥ'kum bayna l-nāsi bil-ḥaqi walā tattabiʿi l-hawā fayuḍillaka ʿan sabīli l-lahi inna alladhīna yaḍillūna ʿan sabīli l-lahi lahum ʿadhābun shadīdun bimā nasū yawma l-ḥisāb ‘David, We have given you mastery over the land. Judge fairly between people. Do not follow your desires, lest they divert you from God’s path: those who wander from His path will have a painful torment because they ignore the Day of Reckoning.’ 27 وَمَا خَلَقۡنَا ٱلسَّمَاۤءَ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَمَا بَیۡنَهُمَا بَـٰطِلࣰاۚ ذَ ٰلِكَ ظَنُّ ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ۚ فَوَیۡلࣱ لِّلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلنَّارِ ۝٢٧ wamā khalaqnā l-samāa wal-arḍa wamā baynahumā bāṭilan dhālika ẓannu alladhīna kafarū fawaylun lilladhīna kafarū mina l-nār It was not without purpose that We created the heavens and the earth and everything in between. That may be what the disbelievers assume- how they will suffer from the Fire!