The people of the Book ask thee to bring down a Book to them from the heaven. But surely they asked Musa a thing greater than that; they said: shew us God manifestly; whencefore the thunderbolt overtook them for their wrong-doing. Then they took a calf after there had come unto them the evidences. Even so We pardoned that, and We gave Musa a manifest authority. 153 and We raised the Mount high above them and took from them a covenant (to obey the commandment), and ordered them: 'Enter the gate in the state of prostration.' And We said to them: 'Do not violate the law of the Sabbath', and took from them a firm covenant. 154 Then because of their breaking of their covenant, and their disbelieving in the revelations of Allah, and their slaying of the prophets wrongfully, and their saying: Our hearts are hardened - Nay, but Allah set a seal upon them for their disbelief, so that they believe not save a few - 155 And because of their disbelief and of their speaking against Mary a tremendous calumny; 156 and for their saying, 'We slew the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the Messenger of God' -- yet they did not slay him, neither crucified him, only a likeness of that was shown to them. Those who are at variance concerning him surely are in doubt regarding him; they have no knowledge of him, except the following of surmise; and they slew him not of a certainty -- no indeed; 157 Rather, Allah raised him to Himself. And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise. 158 And there is not one of the followers of the Book but most certainly believes in this before his death, and on the day of resurrection he (Isa) shall be a witness against them. 159 So, then, for the wickedness committed by those who followed the Jewish faith did We deny unto them certain of the good things of life which [aforetime] had been allowed to them; and [We did this] for their having so often turned away from the path of God, 160 And [for] their taking of usury while they had been forbidden from it, and their consuming of the people's wealth unjustly. And we have prepared for the disbelievers among them a painful punishment. 161 But to the learned among them, and the believers who affirm what has been revealed to you and was revealed to those before you, and to those who fulfil their devotional obligations, who pay the zakat and believe in God and the Last Day, We shall give a great reward. 162