۞ God took compact with the Children of Israel; and We raised up from among them twelve chieftains. And God said, 'I am with you. Surely, if you perform the prayer, and pay the alms, and believe in My Messengers and succour them, and lend to God a good loan, I will acquit you of your evil deeds, and I will admit you to gardens underneath which rivers flow. So whosoever of you thereafter disbelieves, surely he has gone astray from the right way. 12 Wherefore for their breach of their bond We accursed them and We made their hearts hard. They pervert the words from the meanings thereof and have abandoned a good portion of that wherewith they were admonished. And thou wilt not cease to light upon defrauding on their part, save a few of them; yet pardon thou them and overlook them, verily Allah loveth the well-doers. 13 And with those who say: "Lo! we are Christians," We made a covenant, but they forgot a part of that whereof they were admonished. Therefor We have stirred up enmity and hatred among them till the Day of Resurrection, when Allah will inform them of their handiwork. 14 O People of the Scripture! Now hath Our messenger come unto you, expounding unto you much of that which ye used to hide in the Scripture, and forgiving much. now hath come unto you light from Allah and plain Scripture, 15 Therewith Allah guideth those who follow His goodwill unto the ways of safety, and bringeth them forth out of darkness into the light by His leave, and guideth them onto the right path. 16 In blasphemy indeed are those that say that Allah is Christ the son of Mary. Say: "Who then hath the least power against Allah, if His will were to destroy Christ the son of Mary, his mother, and all every - one that is on the earth? For to Allah belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between. He createth what He pleaseth. For Allah hath power over all things." 17 The Jews and the Christians say, "We are the children of God and His beloved ones." Say, "Then why does He punish you for your sins? Indeed, you are but human beings among those He has created. He forgives whom He pleases and punishes whom He pleases. The kingdom of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, belong to God and all shall return to Him." 18 O followers of the Bible! Now, after a long time during which no apostles have appeared, there has come unto you [this] Our Apostle to make [the truth] clear to you, lest you say: "No bearer of glad tidings has come unto us, nor any warner"; for now there has come unto you a bearer of glad tidings and a warner - since God has the power to will anything. 19