قَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَكُمُ ٱلَّذِيٓ أُرۡسِلَ إِلَيۡكُمۡ لَمَجۡنُونٞ

[Pharaoh] said,[1] "Indeed, your 'messenger' who has been sent to you is mad."

قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغۡرِبِ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَآۖ إِن كُنتُمۡ تَعۡقِلُونَ

[Moses] said, "Lord of the east and the west and that between them, if you were to reason."

قَالَ لَئِنِ ٱتَّخَذۡتَ إِلَٰهًا غَيۡرِي لَأَجۡعَلَنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلۡمَسۡجُونِينَ

[Pharaoh] said, "If you take a god other than me, I will surely place you among those imprisoned."

قَالَ أَوَلَوۡ جِئۡتُكَ بِشَيۡءٖ مُّبِينٖ

[Moses] said, "Even if I brought you something [i.e., proof] manifest?"

قَالَ فَأۡتِ بِهِۦٓ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ

[Pharaoh] said, "Then bring it, if you should be of the truthful."

فَأَلۡقَىٰ عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ ثُعۡبَانٞ مُّبِينٞ

So [Moses] threw his staff, and suddenly it was a serpent manifest.[1]

وَنَزَعَ يَدَهُۥ فَإِذَا هِيَ بَيۡضَآءُ لِلنَّـٰظِرِينَ

And he drew out his hand; thereupon it was white for the observers.

قَالَ لِلۡمَلَإِ حَوۡلَهُۥٓ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَسَٰحِرٌ عَلِيمٞ

[Pharaoh] said to the eminent ones around him, "Indeed, this is a learned magician.

يُرِيدُ أَن يُخۡرِجَكُم مِّنۡ أَرۡضِكُم بِسِحۡرِهِۦ فَمَاذَا تَأۡمُرُونَ

He wants to drive you out of your land by his magic, so what do you advise?"

قَالُوٓاْ أَرۡجِهۡ وَأَخَاهُ وَٱبۡعَثۡ فِي ٱلۡمَدَآئِنِ حَٰشِرِينَ

They said, "Postpone [the matter of] him and his brother and send among the cities gatherers

يَأۡتُوكَ بِكُلِّ سَحَّارٍ عَلِيمٖ

Who will bring you every learned, skilled magician."

فَجُمِعَ ٱلسَّحَرَةُ لِمِيقَٰتِ يَوۡمٖ مَّعۡلُومٖ

So the magicians were assembled for the appointment of a well-known day.[1]

وَقِيلَ لِلنَّاسِ هَلۡ أَنتُم مُّجۡتَمِعُونَ

And it was said to the people, "Will you congregate.

لَعَلَّنَا نَتَّبِعُ ٱلسَّحَرَةَ إِن كَانُواْ هُمُ ٱلۡغَٰلِبِينَ

That we might follow the magicians if they are the predominant?"

فَلَمَّا جَآءَ ٱلسَّحَرَةُ قَالُواْ لِفِرۡعَوۡنَ أَئِنَّ لَنَا لَأَجۡرًا إِن كُنَّا نَحۡنُ ٱلۡغَٰلِبِينَ

And when the magicians arrived, they said to Pharaoh, "Is there indeed for us a reward if we are the predominant?"

قَالَ نَعَمۡ وَإِنَّكُمۡ إِذٗا لَّمِنَ ٱلۡمُقَرَّبِينَ

He said, "Yes, and indeed, you will then be of those near [to me]."

قَالَ لَهُم مُّوسَىٰٓ أَلۡقُواْ مَآ أَنتُم مُّلۡقُونَ

Moses said to them, "Throw whatever you will throw."

فَأَلۡقَوۡاْ حِبَالَهُمۡ وَعِصِيَّهُمۡ وَقَالُواْ بِعِزَّةِ فِرۡعَوۡنَ إِنَّا لَنَحۡنُ ٱلۡغَٰلِبُونَ

So they threw their ropes and their staffs and said, "By the might of Pharaoh, indeed it is we who are predominant."

فَأَلۡقَىٰ مُوسَىٰ عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلۡقَفُ مَا يَأۡفِكُونَ

Then Moses threw his staff, and at once it devoured what they falsified.

فَأُلۡقِيَ ٱلسَّحَرَةُ سَٰجِدِينَ

So the magicians fell down in prostration [to AllŒh].

قَالُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا بِرَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ

They said, "We have believed in the Lord of the worlds,

رَبِّ مُوسَىٰ وَهَٰرُونَ

The Lord of Moses and Aaron."

قَالَ ءَامَنتُمۡ لَهُۥ قَبۡلَ أَنۡ ءَاذَنَ لَكُمۡۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ ٱلَّذِي عَلَّمَكُمُ ٱلسِّحۡرَ فَلَسَوۡفَ تَعۡلَمُونَۚ لَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيۡدِيَكُمۡ وَأَرۡجُلَكُم مِّنۡ خِلَٰفٖ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ

[Pharaoh] said, "You believed him [i.e., Moses] before I gave you permission. Indeed, he is your leader who has taught you magic, but you are going to know. I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will surely crucify you all."

قَالُواْ لَا ضَيۡرَۖ إِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا مُنقَلِبُونَ

They said, "No harm. Indeed, to our Lord we will return.

إِنَّا نَطۡمَعُ أَن يَغۡفِرَ لَنَا رَبُّنَا خَطَٰيَٰنَآ أَن كُنَّآ أَوَّلَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ

Indeed, we aspire that our Lord will forgive us our sins because we were the first of the believers."

۞وَأَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰٓ أَنۡ أَسۡرِ بِعِبَادِيٓ إِنَّكُم مُّتَّبَعُونَ

And We inspired to Moses, "Travel by night with My servants; indeed, you will be pursued."

فَأَرۡسَلَ فِرۡعَوۡنُ فِي ٱلۡمَدَآئِنِ حَٰشِرِينَ

Then Pharaoh sent among the cities gatherers[1]

إِنَّ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ لَشِرۡذِمَةٞ قَلِيلُونَ

[And said], "Indeed, those are but a small band,

وَإِنَّهُمۡ لَنَا لَغَآئِظُونَ

And indeed, they are enraging us,

وَإِنَّا لَجَمِيعٌ حَٰذِرُونَ

And indeed, we are a cautious society..."