قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّيٓ أَخَافُ أَن يُكَذِّبُونِ

He said, "My Lord, indeed I fear that they will deny me

وَيَضِيقُ صَدۡرِي وَلَا يَنطَلِقُ لِسَانِي فَأَرۡسِلۡ إِلَىٰ هَٰرُونَ

And that my breast will tighten and my tongue will not be fluent, so send for Aaron.

وَلَهُمۡ عَلَيَّ ذَنۢبٞ فَأَخَافُ أَن يَقۡتُلُونِ

And they have upon me a [claim due to] sin, so I fear that they will kill me."

قَالَ كَلَّاۖ فَٱذۡهَبَا بِـَٔايَٰتِنَآۖ إِنَّا مَعَكُم مُّسۡتَمِعُونَ

[AllŒh] said, "No. Go both of you with Our signs; indeed, We are with you, listening.

فَأۡتِيَا فِرۡعَوۡنَ فَقُولَآ إِنَّا رَسُولُ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ

Go to Pharaoh and say, 'We are the messengers[1] of the Lord of the worlds,

أَنۡ أَرۡسِلۡ مَعَنَا بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَـٰٓءِيلَ

[Commanded to say], "Send with us the Children of Israel."'"

قَالَ أَلَمۡ نُرَبِّكَ فِينَا وَلِيدٗا وَلَبِثۡتَ فِينَا مِنۡ عُمُرِكَ سِنِينَ

[Pharaoh] said, "Did we not raise you among us as a child, and you remained among us for years of your life?

وَفَعَلۡتَ فَعۡلَتَكَ ٱلَّتِي فَعَلۡتَ وَأَنتَ مِنَ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ

And [then] you did your deed which you did,[1] and you were of the ungrateful."

قَالَ فَعَلۡتُهَآ إِذٗا وَأَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلضَّآلِّينَ

[Moses] said, "I did it, then, while I was of those astray [i.e., ignorant].

فَفَرَرۡتُ مِنكُمۡ لَمَّا خِفۡتُكُمۡ فَوَهَبَ لِي رَبِّي حُكۡمٗا وَجَعَلَنِي مِنَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ

So I fled from you when I feared you. Then my Lord granted me judgement [i.e., wisdom and prophet hood] and appointed me [as one] of the messengers.

وَتِلۡكَ نِعۡمَةٞ تَمُنُّهَا عَلَيَّ أَنۡ عَبَّدتَّ بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَـٰٓءِيلَ

And is this a favor of which you remind me – that you have enslaved the Children of Israel?"

قَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنُ وَمَا رَبُّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ

Said Pharaoh, "And what is the Lord of the worlds?"

قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَآۖ إِن كُنتُم مُّوقِنِينَ

[Moses] said, "The Lord of the heavens and earth and that between them, if you should be convinced."

قَالَ لِمَنۡ حَوۡلَهُۥٓ أَلَا تَسۡتَمِعُونَ

[Pharaoh] said to those around him, "Do you not hear?"

قَالَ رَبُّكُمۡ وَرَبُّ ءَابَآئِكُمُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ

[Moses] said, "Your Lord and the Lord of your first forefathers."

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?"