among those He created.
He forgives whom He will,
and punishes whom He will.”
To God belongs dominion
over the heavens and the earth
and all that lies between them.
And to Him is the final return.
19People of the Book,
Our messenger has come to you,
clarifying things for you
—after a pause in the line
of messengers—so that you
don’t claim, “No one came to us
bearing joyous news or warning.”
Now, someone has come to you
with good news and warning—
for God has Power over all things.
SECTION 4
20When Moses said to his people,
“My people, remember the favor
God showed you,
when He placed prophets among you,
and made you kings, and gave you
what He had not given
to any people in all the world;
21“my people, enter the holy land,
which God has ordained for you,
and do not turn your backs
for you will then return as losers,”
22they said, “Moses, a tyrannical people
live in that land, and we will never enter it
until they leave. If they leave it,
then we will enter.”°
23Then two of the God-fearing men,
whom God had favored, said,
“Attack them at the gate—
once you enter, you will be victorious.
So trust in God, if you are true believers.”
24They said, “Moses, we won’t enter it
while they remain there.
So go, you and your Lord, both—
and fight, while we stay here.”
25He said, “My Lord,
I have control only over
myself and my brother,
so set us apart in Your sight
from this disobedient people.”
26God said, “This land
shall be forbidden to them
for forty years. They shall wander
upon the earth, aimless—
so do not grieve over
this disobedient people.”
SECTION 5
27Tell them the actual story
of the two sons of Adam—
when they both offered a sacrifice.
It was accepted of one of them
but not of the other, who said,
“I’ll kill you.” The first replied,
“God accepts sacrifice only
from those who are mindful of Him.
28“If you raise your hand to kill me,
I will not raise my hand against you, for
I fear God, Lord of the universe.
29“I would have you bring upon yourself
my sin as well as yours
so you’ll be among the inmates of the fire—
the reward of wrongdoers.”
30Still, the other sibling’s soul
prompted him to kill his brother—
now,° he was one of those in loss.
31Then God sent a raven,
which scratched the ground
to show him how to cover
the dead body of his brother.
He said, “Alas! Could I not
have been like this raven
and covered my brother’s body?”
And he was filled with remorse.
32On that account, We decreed
for the children of Israel—
if anyone kills a person
—other than for murder or
sowing corruption in the land°—
it will be as if he had killed
all humankind; and if anyone
saves a life, it will be as if he
had saved all humankind.
Our messengers came to them
with clear signs, but even after this,
many among them were
transgressors in the land.
33The retribution for those
who wage war against God and
his messenger and strive to spread
corruption through the land
is that they be killed or crucified
or their hands and feet cut off
on alternate sides—or that they be
exiled from the land.
Such is their disgrace in this world,
and in the hereafter
they shall face great torment,
34except for those who repent
before you prevail against them;
know, then, that God
is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
SECTION 6
35You who believe,
be mindful of God
and seek the means
to come closer to Him,
and strive in His way,
that you might flourish.
36As for those who disbelieve,
if they had all that is on the earth,
and twice that, to offer as ransom
for their punishment on the day of resurrection,
it would not be accepted of them—
they shall face painful torment.
37They will want to come out of the fire,
but they shall not escape it,
for they shall face enduring torment.
38As for the thief—male and female—
cut off their hands:
the recompense they earned—
an example, from God—
for God is Almighty, All Wise.
39But God will relent, pardoning
those who repent after their crime,
reforming themselves—
for He is Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
40Do you not know:
to God belongs dominion over
the heavens and the earth?
He punishes whom He will
and He forgives whom He will—
for God has Power over all things.
41Messenger, don’t be grieved
by those who hasten to unbelief—
those who say with their mouths,
“We believe,” while their hearts
disbelieve; or those Jews
who listen to falsehood, or to others
who have not come to you [for a ruling].
They distort words from
their contexts, and they say,
“If you are given this ruling,
take it, but if not, then beware.”°
You have no sway with God
on behalf of those He would test.
They are the ones whose hearts
God has no desire to purify.
They shall be disgraced in this world,
and they shall face great torment
in the hereafter—
42those who listen to lies and
consume what is proscribed.
If they come to you,
judge between them or
turn away from them.
If you turn away,
they can’t harm you at all.
And if you do judge, then
judge between them justly—
God loves those who are just.
43Yet why do they appoint you
as judge when they have their Torah
bearing God’s judgment?
And even after this, they turn away,
for they are not true believers.
SECTION 7
44We revealed the Torah
[to Moses], bearing guidance
and light—by this,
the prophets submissive to God’s will
judged for the Jews,
as did the rabbis and the scholars,
by the Book of God
entrusted to their care, and to which
they bore witness.
So do not fear people,° but fear Me,
and do not sell My signs
for a paltry price.
As for those who do not judge
by what God has revealed—
they are the unbelievers.
45In the Torah We told them,
a life for a life, an eye for an eye,
nose for nose, tooth for tooth,
and fair requital for any wound.
But those who forgo reprisal,
out of charity, will thereby atone
for their bad deeds.
As for those who do not judge
by what God has revealed—
they are wrongdoers.
46In their footsteps, We sent Jesus,
son of Mary, verifying the Torah
that came before him;
We gave to him the Gospel,
bearing guidance and light,
verifying the Torah
that came before him—
guidance and counsel
for those mindful of God.
47Let the followers
of the Gospel judge
by what God has revealed in it;
as for those who do not judge
by what God has revealed—
they are the disobedient.
48And We revealed the Book,
with the truth, to you, Prophet,
verifying the earlier Book,
preserving it. So judge between them
by what God has revealed,
and do not follow their desires,
straying from the truth
that has come to you.
For each of you, We made a law
and a path. If God had willed,
He could have made you one people,
but He would test you
in what He has granted you:
so compete in good works.
All of you shall return to God—
He alone shall enlighten you
about the things you dispute.
49So judge between them
by what God has revealed,
and do not follow their desires—
beware that they don’t entice you
away from some of what
God has revealed to you.
And if they turn away, know that
God intends to scourge them
for some of their sins—
for most people are disobedient.
50Do they seek a judgment
from the days of pagan ignorance?°
Who is better in judging than God
for a people of assured faith?
SECTION 8
51You who believe, do not take
the Jews and Christians as allies—
they are allies of each other.
Whoever among you turns to them
belongs with them.
God does not guide a wrongful people.
52You see those with sick hearts
hastening to them, saying
“We fear a turn of fortune.”
But God may bring you victory,
or a ruling from Himself—
then they will regret what
they hid within themselves.
53And those who believe
will say, “Are these the ones
who swore the strongest oaths by God
that they were with you?”
All their deeds have been in vain
and they are now the losers.
54You who believe, if any of you
turn away from their faith, then
God will replace you with a people
whom He loves and who love Him—
humble toward believers, and
robust against disbelievers,
striving in the path of God, not
fearing reproach from anyone.
This is the grace of God, which
He brings to those whom He will,
for God is Expansive, All Knowing.
55Your allies are God,
His messenger, and the believers
who are steadfast in prayer
and charity, bowing [in worship].
56The party of God
—those who turn to God,
His messenger, and the believers—
shall be victorious.
SECTION 9
57You who believe,
do not take as allies those
who take your religion
in jest and sport, among those
who were given the Book
before you and the unbelievers.
Rather, be mindful of God
if you are true believers.
58When you voice the call to prayer,
they take it in jest and sport—
for they are people void of reason.
59Say, “People of the Book,
do you resent us just because
we believe in God,
in what was revealed to us
and what was revealed before,
while most of you are disobedient?”
60Say, “Shall I tell you
who deserved a punishment
worse than this from God?
Those whom God cursed,
His wrath falling on them,
some of whom He turned
into apes and swine,
and who worshipped false gods.
They have an even worse rank
and have strayed farther
from the even path.”
61When they come to you,
they say, “We believe.”
But really they enter and leave
in a state of disbelief—and
God knows best what they conceal.
62And you see many of them
hastening to sin and transgression,
and gorging on unlawful earnings.
How wicked their deeds have been!
63Why do their rabbis and scholars
not forbid them from speaking sin
and gorging on unlawful earnings?
How wicked their works have been!
64The Jews say,
“God’s hand is chained”—
it is their hands that are chained
and they are cursed for what they assert.
The hands of God are in fact outstretched
and He gives as He will.
Your Lord’s revelations to you
intensify rebellion and unbelief
in most of them. We have cast
enmity and hatred among them
until the day of resurrection.
Whenever they fuel the fire of war
God extinguishes it. They strive
to sow corruption upon the earth—
and God dislikes those who do this.
65Had the people of the Book
believed and had they been mindful
of God, We would have expiated
their evil deeds and urged them
into gardens of bliss.
66If they had stood firm
by the Torah and the Gospel
and what was revealed to them
from their Lord, then sustenance
would have showered down on them
from above, and risen from beneath
their feet. Among them is a group
on the right course, yet
what many of them do is wicked.
SECTION 10
67Messenger, proclaim all
that has been revealed to you
from your Lord—if you don’t,
you won’t have conveyed
His message.
And God shall guard you
against people [who oppose you].
God does not guide
people who disbelieve.
68Say, “People of the