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| 65. They said, `O Moses, either do thou cast first, or we shall be the first to cast.' 66. Moses said, `Nay, cast ye.' Then lo ! their cords and their staves appeared to him, by their magic, as though they ran about. 67. And Moses conceived a fear in his mind. 68. WE said, `Fear not, for thou wilt have the upper hand; 69. `And cast that which is in thy right hand; it will swallow that which they have wrought, for that which they have wrought is only a sorcerer's trick. And a sorcerer shall not thrive, contrive what he may.' 70. Then the realization of truth made the sorcerers fall down prostrate. They said, `We believe in the Lord of Aaron and Moses.' 71. Pharaoh said, `Do you believe in him before I give you leave ? He must be your chief who has taught you magic. I will, therefore, surely cut off your hands and your feet on alternate sides, and I will surely crucify you on the trunks of palm trees; and you shall know which of us can impose severer and more abiding punishment.' 72. They said, `We shall not prefer thee to the manifest Signs that have come to us, nor shall we prefer thee to HIM Who has created us. So decree what thou wilt decree; thou canst only decree concerning this present life; 73. `Surely, we have believed in our Lord that HE may forgive us our sins and forgive us the magic which thou didst force us to practise. And ALLAH is the Best and the Most Abiding.' 74. Verily, he who comes to his Lord a sinner - for him is Hell; he shall neither die therein nor live. 75. But he who comes to him a believer, having done good deeds, for such are the highest ranks - 76. Gardens of Eternity, beneath which streams flow; they will abide therein for ever. And that is the recompense of those who keep themselves pure. |
