Verses 52–65

قَالَ عِلْمُهَا عِندَ رَبِّى فِى كِتَٰبٍۢ ۖ لَّا يَضِلُّ رَبِّى وَلَا يَنسَى﴿٥٢﴾

20:52He said, ‘Their knowledge is with my Lord, in a Book. My Lord neither makes any error nor forgets.’¹

ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلْأَرْضَ مَهْدًۭا وَسَلَكَ لَكُمْ فِيهَا سُبُلًۭا وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءًۭ فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِۦٓ أَزْوَٰجًۭا مِّن نَّبَاتٍۢ شَتَّىٰ﴿٥٣﴾

20:53He, who made the earth for you a cradle, and in it threaded for you ways, and sent down water from the sky, and with it We brought forth various kinds of vegetation.^*

كُلُوا۟ وَٱرْعَوْا۟ أَنْعَٰمَكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَءَايَٰتٍۢ لِّأُو۟لِى ٱلنُّهَىٰ﴿٥٤﴾

20:54‘Eat and pasture your cattle.’ There are indeed signs in that for those who have sense.

۞ مِنْهَا خَلَقْنَٰكُمْ وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمْ وَمِنْهَا نُخْرِجُكُمْ تَارَةً أُخْرَىٰ﴿٥٥﴾

20:55From it did We create you, into it shall We return you, and from it shall We bring you forth another time.²

وَلَقَدْ أَرَيْنَٰهُ ءَايَٰتِنَا كُلَّهَا فَكَذَّبَ وَأَبَىٰ﴿٥٦﴾

20:56Certainly We showed him all Our signs. But he denied [them] and refused [to believe them].

قَالَ أَجِئْتَنَا لِتُخْرِجَنَا مِنْ أَرْضِنَا بِسِحْرِكَ يَٰمُوسَىٰ﴿٥٧﴾

20:57He said, ‘Moses, have you come to us to expel us from our land with your magic?³

فَلَنَأْتِيَنَّكَ بِسِحْرٍۢ مِّثْلِهِۦ فَٱجْعَلْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكَ مَوْعِدًۭا لَّا نُخْلِفُهُۥ نَحْنُ وَلَآ أَنتَ مَكَانًۭا سُوًۭى﴿٥٨﴾

20:58Yet we [too] will bring you a magic like it! So fix a tryst between us and you, which neither we shall fail nor you, at a middle place.’

قَالَ مَوْعِدُكُمْ يَوْمُ ٱلزِّينَةِ وَأَن يُحْشَرَ ٱلنَّاسُ ضُحًۭى﴿٥٩﴾

20:59He said, ‘Your tryst shall be the Day of Adornment, and let the people be assembled in early forenoon.’

فَتَوَلَّىٰ فِرْعَوْنُ فَجَمَعَ كَيْدَهُۥ ثُمَّ أَتَىٰ﴿٦٠﴾

20:60Then Pharaoh withdrew [to consult privately], summoned up his guile, and then arrived [at the scene of the contest].

قَالَ لَهُم مُّوسَىٰ وَيْلَكُمْ لَا تَفْتَرُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًۭا فَيُسْحِتَكُم بِعَذَابٍۢ ۖ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ﴿٦١﴾

20:61Moses said to them, ‘Woe to you! Do not fabricate lies against Allah, or He will obliterate you with a punishment. Whoever fabricates lies certainly fails.’

فَتَنَٰزَعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَهُم بَيْنَهُمْ وَأَسَرُّوا۟ ٱلنَّجْوَىٰ﴿٦٢﴾

20:62So they disputed their matter among themselves, and kept their confidential talks secret.

قَالُوٓا۟ إِنْ هَٰذَٰنِ لَسَٰحِرَٰنِ يُرِيدَانِ أَن يُخْرِجَاكُم مِّنْ أَرْضِكُم بِسِحْرِهِمَا وَيَذْهَبَا بِطَرِيقَتِكُمُ ٱلْمُثْلَىٰ﴿٦٣﴾

20:63They said, ‘These two are indeed magicians who intend to expel you from your land with their magic, and to abolish your excellent tradition!⁴

فَأَجْمِعُوا۟ كَيْدَكُمْ ثُمَّ ٱئْتُوا۟ صَفًّۭا ۚ وَقَدْ أَفْلَحَ ٱلْيَوْمَ مَنِ ٱسْتَعْلَىٰ﴿٦٤﴾

20:64So summon up your ingenuity, then come in ranks. Today he who has the upper hand will be felicitous!’

قَالُوا۟ يَٰمُوسَىٰٓ إِمَّآ أَن تُلْقِىَ وَإِمَّآ أَن نَّكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَلْقَىٰ﴿٦٥﴾

20:65They said, ‘O Moses! Will you throw first, or shall we?’