Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah hath chosen thee and purified thee- chosen thee above the women of all nations. 42 Mary, pray devotedly to your Lord, prostrate yourself before Him and bow down with those who bow down before Him." 43 This account of something that was beyond the reach of thy perception We [now] reveal unto thee: for thou wert not with them when they drew lots as to which of them should be Mary's guardian, and thou wert not with them when they contended [about it] with one another. 44 "Behold," the angels told Mary, "God has given you the glad news of the coming birth of a son whom He calls His Word, whose name will be Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, who will be a man of honor in this life and the life to come, and who will be one of the ones nearest to God. 45 And he shall speak to men in his cradle, and as a grown man, and shall be one of the righteous." 46 Said she: "O my Sustainer! How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me?" [The angel] answered: "Thus it is: God creates what He wills when He wills a thing to be, He but says unto it, 'Be' - and it is. 47 God will give (Jesus) wisdom and teach him the Book, the Torah, and the Gospel. 48 And he will be Apostle to the children of Israel, (saying:) 'I have come to you with a prodigy from your Lord that I will fashion the state of destiny out of mire for you, and breathe (a new spirit) into it, and (you) will rise by the will of God. I will heal the blind and the leper, and infuse life into the dead, by the leave of God. I will tell you what you devour and what you hoard in your homes. In this will be a portent for you if you do believe. 49 "And [I have come] to confirm the truth of whatever there still remains of the Torah, and to make lawful unto you some of the things which [aforetime] were forbidden to you. And I have come unto you with a message from your Sustainer; remain, then, conscious of God, and pay heed unto me. 50 God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is the straight path." 51 ۞ When (Prophet) Jesus felt their disbelief, he said: 'Who will be my helpers in the way of Allah?' The disciples replied: 'We are the helpers of Allah. We believe in Allah. Bear witness that we are submitters (Muslims). 52 Our Lord! We believe in the com-mandment You have revealed and we obey the Messenger; make us, then, one of those who bear witness (to the Truth).' 53 The unbelievers plotted and God planned, but God is a much better planner; 54