قَالَ لَقَدۡ عَلِمۡتَ مَآ أَنزَلَ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ إِلَّا رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ بَصَآئِرَ وَإِنِّي لَأَظُنُّكَ يَٰفِرۡعَوۡنُ مَثۡبُورٗا

[Moses] said, "You have already known that none has sent down these [signs] except the Lord of the heavens and the earth as evidence, and indeed I think,[1] O Pharaoh, that you are destroyed."

فَأَرَادَ أَن يَسۡتَفِزَّهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَأَغۡرَقۡنَٰهُ وَمَن مَّعَهُۥ جَمِيعٗا

So he intended to drive them from the land, but We drowned him and those with him all together.

ٱذۡهَبَآ إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ إِنَّهُۥ طَغَىٰ

Go, both of you, to Pharaoh. Indeed, he has transgressed.

فَقُولَا لَهُۥ قَوۡلٗا لَّيِّنٗا لَّعَلَّهُۥ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوۡ يَخۡشَىٰ

And speak to him with gentle speech that perhaps he may be reminded or fear [AllŒh]."

قَالَا رَبَّنَآ إِنَّنَا نَخَافُ أَن يَفۡرُطَ عَلَيۡنَآ أَوۡ أَن يَطۡغَىٰ

They said, "Our Lord, indeed we are afraid that he will hasten [punishment] against us or that he will transgress."

قَالَ لَا تَخَافَآۖ إِنَّنِي مَعَكُمَآ أَسۡمَعُ وَأَرَىٰ

[AllŒh] said, "Fear not. Indeed, I am with you both; I hear and I see.

فَأۡتِيَاهُ فَقُولَآ إِنَّا رَسُولَا رَبِّكَ فَأَرۡسِلۡ مَعَنَا بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَـٰٓءِيلَ وَلَا تُعَذِّبۡهُمۡۖ قَدۡ جِئۡنَٰكَ بِـَٔايَةٖ مِّن رَّبِّكَۖ وَٱلسَّلَٰمُ عَلَىٰ مَنِ ٱتَّبَعَ ٱلۡهُدَىٰٓ

So go to him and say, 'Indeed, we are messengers of your Lord, so send with us the Children of Israel and do not torment them. We have come to you with a sign from your Lord. And peace[1] will be upon he who follows the guidance.

إِنَّا قَدۡ أُوحِيَ إِلَيۡنَآ أَنَّ ٱلۡعَذَابَ عَلَىٰ مَن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

Indeed, it has been revealed to us that the punishment will be upon whoever denies and turns away.'"

قَالَ فَمَن رَّبُّكُمَا يَٰمُوسَىٰ

[Pharaoh] said, "So who is the Lord of you two, O Moses?"

قَالَ رَبُّنَا ٱلَّذِيٓ أَعۡطَىٰ كُلَّ شَيۡءٍ خَلۡقَهُۥ ثُمَّ هَدَىٰ

He said, "Our Lord is He who gave each thing its form and then guided [it]."

قَالَ فَمَا بَالُ ٱلۡقُرُونِ ٱلۡأُولَىٰ

[Pharaoh] said, "Then what is the case of the former generations?"

قَالَ عِلۡمُهَا عِندَ رَبِّي فِي كِتَٰبٖۖ لَّا يَضِلُّ رَبِّي وَلَا يَنسَى

[Moses] said, "The knowledge thereof is with my Lord in a record. My Lord neither errs nor forgets."

ٱلَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ مَهۡدٗا وَسَلَكَ لَكُمۡ فِيهَا سُبُلٗا وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءٗ فَأَخۡرَجۡنَا بِهِۦٓ أَزۡوَٰجٗا مِّن نَّبَاتٖ شَتَّىٰ

[It is He] who has made for you the earth as a bed [spread out] and inserted therein for you roadways and sent down from the sky, rain and produced thereby categories of various plants.

كُلُواْ وَٱرۡعَوۡاْ أَنۡعَٰمَكُمۡۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّأُوْلِي ٱلنُّهَىٰ

Eat [therefrom] and pasture your livestock. Indeed in that are signs for those of intelligence.

۞مِنۡهَا خَلَقۡنَٰكُمۡ وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمۡ وَمِنۡهَا نُخۡرِجُكُمۡ تَارَةً أُخۡرَىٰ

From it [i.e., the earth] We created you, and into it We will return you, and from it We will extract you another time.

وَلَقَدۡ أَرَيۡنَٰهُ ءَايَٰتِنَا كُلَّهَا فَكَذَّبَ وَأَبَىٰ

And We certainly showed him [i.e., Pharaoh] Our signs – all of them – but he denied and refused.

قَالَ أَجِئۡتَنَا لِتُخۡرِجَنَا مِنۡ أَرۡضِنَا بِسِحۡرِكَ يَٰمُوسَىٰ

He said, "Have you come to us to drive us out of our land with your magic, O Moses?

فَلَنَأۡتِيَنَّكَ بِسِحۡرٖ مِّثۡلِهِۦ فَٱجۡعَلۡ بَيۡنَنَا وَبَيۡنَكَ مَوۡعِدٗا لَّا نُخۡلِفُهُۥ نَحۡنُ وَلَآ أَنتَ مَكَانٗا سُوٗى

Then we will surely bring you magic like it, so make between us and you an appointment, which we will not fail to keep and neither will you, in a place assigned."[1]

قَالَ مَوۡعِدُكُمۡ يَوۡمُ ٱلزِّينَةِ وَأَن يُحۡشَرَ ٱلنَّاسُ ضُحٗى

[Moses] said, "Your appointment is on the day of the festival when the people assemble at mid-morning."[1]

فَتَوَلَّىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنُ فَجَمَعَ كَيۡدَهُۥ ثُمَّ أَتَىٰ

So Pharaoh went away, put together his plan, and then came [to Moses].

قَالَ لَهُم مُّوسَىٰ وَيۡلَكُمۡ لَا تَفۡتَرُواْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبٗا فَيُسۡحِتَكُم بِعَذَابٖۖ وَقَدۡ خَابَ مَنِ ٱفۡتَرَىٰ

Moses said to them [i.e., the magicians summoned by Pharaoh], "Woe to you! Do not invent a lie against AllŒh or He will exterminate you with a punishment; and he has failed who invents [such falsehood]."

فَتَنَٰزَعُوٓاْ أَمۡرَهُم بَيۡنَهُمۡ وَأَسَرُّواْ ٱلنَّجۡوَىٰ

So they disputed over their affair among themselves and concealed their private conversation.

قَالُوٓاْ إِنۡ هَٰذَٰنِ لَسَٰحِرَٰنِ يُرِيدَانِ أَن يُخۡرِجَاكُم مِّنۡ أَرۡضِكُم بِسِحۡرِهِمَا وَيَذۡهَبَا بِطَرِيقَتِكُمُ ٱلۡمُثۡلَىٰ

They said, "Indeed, these are two magicians who want to drive you out of your land with their magic and do away with your most exemplary way [i.e., religion or tradition].

فَأَجۡمِعُواْ كَيۡدَكُمۡ ثُمَّ ٱئۡتُواْ صَفّٗاۚ وَقَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ مَنِ ٱسۡتَعۡلَىٰ

So resolve upon your plan and then come [forward] in line. And he has succeeded today who overcomes."

قَالُواْ يَٰمُوسَىٰٓ إِمَّآ أَن تُلۡقِيَ وَإِمَّآ أَن نَّكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنۡ أَلۡقَىٰ

They said, "O Moses, either you throw or we will be the first to throw."

قَالَ بَلۡ أَلۡقُواْۖ فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمۡ وَعِصِيُّهُمۡ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيۡهِ مِن سِحۡرِهِمۡ أَنَّهَا تَسۡعَىٰ

He said, "Rather, you throw." And suddenly their ropes and staffs seemed to him from their magic that they were moving [like snakes].

فَأَوۡجَسَ فِي نَفۡسِهِۦ خِيفَةٗ مُّوسَىٰ

And he sensed within himself apprehension, did Moses.

قُلۡنَا لَا تَخَفۡ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰ

We [i.e., AllŒh] said, "Fear not. Indeed, it is you who are superior.

وَأَلۡقِ مَا فِي يَمِينِكَ تَلۡقَفۡ مَا صَنَعُوٓاْۖ إِنَّمَا صَنَعُواْ كَيۡدُ سَٰحِرٖۖ وَلَا يُفۡلِحُ ٱلسَّاحِرُ حَيۡثُ أَتَىٰ

And throw what is in your right hand; it will swallow up what they have crafted. What they have crafted is but the trick of a magician, and the magician will not succeed wherever he is."

فَأُلۡقِيَ ٱلسَّحَرَةُ سُجَّدٗا قَالُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا بِرَبِّ هَٰرُونَ وَمُوسَىٰ

So the magicians fell down in prostration.[1] They said, "We have believed in the Lord of Aaron and Moses."