۞ And certainly We gave to Dawood excellence from Us: O mountains! sing praises with him, and the birds; and We made the iron pliant to him, 10 [and inspired him thus:] "Do good deeds lavishly, without stint, and give deep thought to their steady flow." And [thus should you all, O believers,] do righteous deeds: for, verily, I see all that you do! 11 To Solomon the morning course of the wind was a month's journey, and its evening course was also a month's journey. We caused copper to be (as a) molten spring for him. And the jinn, some served him by the permission of his Lord. But as for those amongst them that swerved away from Our Command, We shall let them taste the punishment of the Blaze (the Fire). 12 They worked for him whatsoever he pleased of lofty halls and statues and basins like cisterns and cauldrons standing firm. Work ye, house of Da'ud! with thanksgiving; few of My bondmen are thankful. 13 Then when We decreed death for him, naught discovered his death to them save a moving creature of the earth which gnawed away his staff. Then when he fell, the jinn clearly perceived that if they had known the unseen they would not have tarried in the ignominious torment. 14 For Sheba there was indeed a sign. In their dwelling place there were two gardens, on the right and left side. (We said): 'Eat of your Lord's provisions and give thanks to Him, a good land, and a Lord who is the Forgiving' 15 But they turned away. So We let loose on them the inundation of (the dyke of) al-'Arim, replacing their gardens with two other gardens which bore only bitter gourd, and tamarisks and a few sparse lote-trees. 16 We requited them in that way because of their ingratitude. We requite no one in that way but the ungrateful. 17 Now [before their downfall,] We had placed between them and the cities which We had blessed [many] towns within sight of one another; and thus We had made traveling easy [for them, as if to say]: "Travel safely in this [land,] by night or by day!" 18 And they said: O our Lord! make spaces to be longer between our journeys; and they were unjust to themselves so We made them stories and scattered them with an utter scattering; most surely there are signs in this for every patient, grateful one 19 And Satan indeed found his calculation true concerning them, for they follow him, all save a group of true believers. 20 And he had over them no authority except [it was decreed] that We might make evident who believes in the Hereafter from who is thereof in doubt. And your Lord, over all things, is Guardian. 21