۞ Thereof We created you, and thereunto We return you, and therefrom We shall bring you forth once again. 55 And We verily did show him all Our tokens, but he denied them and refused. 56 He said: "Hast thou come to drive us out of our land by thy sorcery, O Moses? 57 But we surely can produce for thee magic the like thereof; so appoint a tryst between us and you, which neither we nor thou shall fail to keep, at a place convenient (to us both). 58 'Your tryst shall be upon the Feast Day.' said Moses. 'Let the people be mustered at the high noon.' 59 So Fir'aun (Pharaoh) withdrew, devised his plot and then came back. 60 Musa (Moses) said to them: "Woe unto you! Invent not a lie against Allah, lest He should destroy you completely by a torment. And surely, he who invents a lie (against Allah) will fail miserably." 61 And they disputed upon their plan between them, and communed secretly 62 Some of them said: "These two are magicians, who want to drive you out of your land with their magic and to destroy your excellent way of life. 63 So gather your guile; then come in battle-line. Whoever today gains the upper hand shall surely prosper. 64 The magicians said: "Moses, will you throw down or shall we be the first to throw?" 65 Moses said, "You throw down first." Suddenly their ropes and staffs appeared to him, by their magic, to be moving about rapidly, 66 Moses felt afraid within himself. 67 We told him, "Do not be afraid for you will be the winner. 68 Cast down what is in thy right hand, and it shall swallow what they have fashioned; for they have fashioned only the guile of a sorcerer, and the sorcerer prospers not; wherever he goes.' 69 And the magicians were cast down making obeisance; they said: We believe in the Lord of Haroun and Musa. 70 (Firon) said: You believe in him before I give you leave; most surely he is the chief of you who taught you enchantment, therefore I will certainly cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will certainly crucify you on the trunks of the palm trees, and certainly you will come to know which of us is the more severe and the more abiding in chastising. 71 They said, 'We will not prefer thee over the clear signs that have come to us, nor over Him who originated us. Decide then what thou wilt decide; thou canst only decide touching this present life. 72 We have faith in our Lord so that He will forgive our sins and our magical performances that you forced us to show. God is better than all things and His rewards last longer." 73 Gehenna (Hell) awaits whosoever comes before his Lord as a sinner, there he shall neither die nor live. 74 But whoever comes before Him a believer having done good deeds, will be raised to higher stations -- 75 Gardens of perpetual residence beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally. And that is the reward of one who purifies himself. 76