And the people came hastily unto him: and he said, Do ye worship the images which ye carve?

whereas G.o.d hath created you, and also that which ye make.

They said, Build a pile for him, and cast him into the glowing fire.

And they devised a plot against him; but we made them the inferior, and delivered him.

And Abraham said, Verily I am going unto my LORD, who will direct me.

100 O LORD, grant me a righteous issue.

Wherefore we acquainted him that he should have a son, who should be a meek youth.

And when he had attained to years of discretion, and could join in acts of religion with him, Abraham said unto him, O my son, verily I saw in a dream that I should offer thee in sacrifice: consider therefore what thou art of opinion I should do. He answered, O my father, do what thou art commanded: thou shalt find me, if G.o.d please, a patient person.

And when they had submitted themselves to the divine will, and Abraham had laid his son prostrate on his face, we cried unto him, O Abraham, now hast thou verified the vision. Thus do we reward the righteous.

Verily this was a manifest trial.

And we ransomed him with a n.o.ble victim.

And we left the following salutation to be bestowed on him by the latest posterity, namely, Peace be on Abraham!

110 Thus do we reward the righteous: for he was one of our faithful servants.

And we rejoiced him with the promise of Isaac: and of their offspring were some righteous doers, and others who manifestly injured their own souls.

We were also gracious unto Moses and Aaron, heretofore: and we delivered them and their people from a great distress.

And we a.s.sisted them against the Egyptians; and they became the conquerors.

And we gave them the perspicuous book of the law, and we directed them into the right way, and we left the following salutation to be bestowed on them by the latest posterity, 120 namely, Peace be on Moses and Aaron!

Thus do we reward the righteous; for they were two of our faithful servants.

And Elias was also one of those who were sent by us.

When he said unto his people, Do ye not fear G.o.d?

Do ye invoke Baal, and forsake the most excellent Creator?

G.o.d is your LORD, and the LORD of your forefathers.

But they accused him of imposture: wherefore they shall be delivered up to eternal punishment; except the sincere servants of G.o.d.

And we left the following salutation to be bestowed on him by the latest posterity, 130 namely, Peace be on Ilyasin!

Thus do we reward the righteous: for he was one of our faithful servants.

And Lot was also one of those who were sent by us.

When we delivered him and his whole family, except an old woman, his wife, who perished, among those that remained behind: afterwards we destroyed the others.

And ye, O people of Mecca, pa.s.s by the places where they once dwelt, as ye journey in the morning, and by night; will ye not therefore understand?

Jonas was also one of those who were sent by us.

140 When he fled into the loaded ship; and those who were on board cast lots among themselves, and he was condemned: and the fish swallowed him; for he was worthy of reprehension.

And if he had not been one those who praised G.o.d, verily he had remained in the belly thereof until the day of resurrection.

And we cast him on the naked sh.o.r.e, and he was sick: and we caused a plant of a gourd to grow up over him; and we went him to an hundred thousand persons, or they were a greater number, and they believed: wherefore we granted them to enjoy this life for a season.

Inquire of the Meccans whether thy LORD hath daughters, and they sons?

150 Have we created the angels of the female s.e.x? and were they witnesses thereof?

Do they not say of their own false invention, G.o.d hath begotten issue? and are they not really liars?

Hath he chosen daughters preferably to sons?

Ye have no reason to judge thus.

Will ye therefore not be admonished?

Or have ye a manifest proof of what ye say?

Produce now your book of revelations, if ye speak truth.

And they make him to be of kin unto the genii; whereas the genii know that they who affirm such things shall be delivered up to eternal punishment; (far be that from G.o.d, which they affirm of him!) 160 except the sincere servants of G.o.d.

Moreover ye and that which ye worship shall not seduce any concerning G.o.d, except him who is destined to be burned in h.e.l.l.

There is none of us but hath an appointed place: we range ourselves in order, attending the commands of G.o.d; and we celebrate the divine praise.

The infidels said, If we had been favored with a book of divine revelations, of those which were delivered to the ancients, we had surely been sincere servants of G.o.d: 170 yet now the Koran is revealed, they believe not therein; but hereafter shall they know the consequence of their unbelief.

Our word hath formerly been given unto our servants the apostles; that they shall certainly be a.s.sisted against the infidels, and that our armies should surely be the conquerors.

Turn aside therefore from them, for a season: and see the calamities which shall afflict them; for they shall see thy future success and prosperity.

Do they therefore seek to hasten our vengeance?

Verily when it shall descend into their courts, an evil morning shall it be unto those who were warned in vain.

Turn aside from them therefore for a season, and see: hereafter shall they see thy success and their punishment.

180 Praise be unto thy LORD, the LORD who is far exalted above what they affirm of him!

And peace be on his apostles!

And praise be unto G.o.d, the LORD of all creatures!

CHAPTER x.x.xVIII.

ENt.i.tLED, S.; REVEALED AT MECCA.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL G.o.d.

S. BY the Koran full of admonition.

Verily the unbelievers are addicted to pride and contention.

How many generations have we destroyed before them; and they cried for mercy, but it was not a time to escape.

They wonder that a warner from among themselves hath come unto them. And the unbelievers said, This man is a sorcerer, and a liar: doth he affirm the G.o.ds to be but one G.o.d. Surely this is a wonderful thing.

And the chief men among them departed, saying to one another, Go, and persevere in the worship of your G.o.ds: verily this is the thing which is designed.

We have not heard anything like this in the last religion: this is no other than a false contrivance.

Hath an admonition been sent unto him preferable to any other among us?

Verily they are in a doubt concerning my admonition: but they have not yet tasted my vengeance.

Are the treasures of the mercy of thy LORD, the mighty, the munificent G.o.d, in their hands?

10 Is the kingdom of the heavens, and the earth, and of whatever is between them, in their possession? If it be so, let them ascend by steps unto heaven.

But any army of the confederates shall even here be put to flight.

The people of Noah, and the tribe of Ad, and Pharaoh the contriver of the stakes, and the tribe of Thamud, and the people of Lot, and the inhabitants of the wood near Madian, accused the prophets of imposture before them; these were the confederates against the messengers of G.o.d.

All of them did no other than accuse their apostles of falsehood: wherefore my vengeance hath been justly executed upon them.

And these wait only for one sounding of the trumpet; which there shall be no deferring.

And they scoffingly say, O LORD, hasten our sentence unto us, before the day of account.

Do thou patiently bear that which they utter: and remind them of our servant David, endued with strength; for he was one who seriously turned himself unto G.o.d.

We compelled the mountains to celebrate our praise with him, in the evening and at sunrise, and also the birds, which gathered themselves together unto him: all of them returned frequently unto him for this purpose.

20 And we established his kingdom, and gave him wisdom and eloquence of speech.

Hath the story of the two adversaries come to thy knowledge; when they ascended over the wall into the upper apartment, when they went in unto David, and he was afraid of them. They said, Fear not: we are two adversaries who have a controversy to be decided. The one of us hath wronged the other: wherefore judge between us with truth, and be not unjust; and direct us into the even way.

This my brother had ninety and nine sheep: and I had only one ewe: and he said, Give her me to keep; and he prevailed against me in the discourse which we had together.

David answered, Verily he hath wronged thee in demanding thine ewe as an addition to his own sheep: and many of them who are concerned together in business wrong one another, except those who believe and do that which is right; but how few are they! And David perceived that we had tried him by this parable, and he asked pardon of his LORD: and he fell down and bowed himself, and repented.

Wherefore we forgave him this fault; and he shall be admitted to approach near unto us, and shall have an excellent place of abode in paradise.

O David, verily we have appointed thee a sovereign prince in the earth: judge therefore between men with truth; and follow not thy own l.u.s.t, lest it cause thee to err from the way of G.o.d: for those who err from the way of G.o.d shall suffer a severe punishment, because they have forgotten the day of account.

We have not created the heavens and the earth, and whatever is between them, in vain. This is the opinion of the unbelievers: but woe unto those who believe not, because of the fire of h.e.l.l.

Shall we deal with those who believe and do good works, as with those who act corruptly in the earth? Shall we deal with the pious as with the wicked?

A blessed book have we sent down unto thee, O Mohammed, that they may attentively meditate on the signs thereof, and that men of understanding may be warned.

30 And we gave unto David Solomon; how excellent a servant! for he frequently turned himself unto G.o.d.

When the horses standing on three feet, and touching the ground with the edge of the fourth foot, and swift in the course, were set in parade before him in the evening, he said, Verily I have loved the love of earthly good above the remembrance of my LORD: and have spent the time in viewing these horses, until the sun is hidden by the veil of night; bring the horses back unto me. And when they were brought back, he began to cut off their legs and their necks.

We also tried Solomon, and placed on his throne a counterfeit body: afterwards he turned unto G.o.d, and said, O LORD, forgive me, and give me a kingdom which may not be obtained by any after me; for thou art the giver of kingdoms.

And we made the wind subject to him; it ran gently at his command, whithersoever we directed.

And we also put the devils in subjection under him; and among them such as were every way skilled in building, and in diving for pearls: and others we delivered to him bound in chains, saying, This is our gift: therefore be bounteous, or be sparing unto whom thou shalt think fit, without rendering an account.

40 And he shall approach near unto us, and shall have an excellent abode in paradise.

And remember our servant Job, when he cried unto his LORD, saying, Verily Satan hath afflicted me with calamity and pain.

And it was said unto him, Strike the earth with thy foot; which when he had done, a fountain sprang up, and it was said to him, This is for thee to wash in, to refresh thee, and to drink.

And we restored unto him his family, and as many more with them, through our mercy; and for an admonition unto those who are endued with understanding.

And we said unto him, Take a handful of rods in thy hand, and strike thy wife therewith; and break not thine oath. Verily we found him a patient person: how excellent a servant was he! for he was one who frequently turned himself unto us.