Children of Israel! call to mind the (special) favour which I bestowed upon you, and that I preferred you to all other (for My Message). 47 Take heed of the day when no man will be useful to man in the least, when no intercession matter nor ransom avail, nor help reach them. 48 And [remember the time] when We saved you from Pharaoh's people, who afflicted you with cruel suffering, slaughtering your sons and sparing [only] your women - which was an awesome trial from your Sustainer; 49 We parted the sea to save you and drowned Pharaoh's people before your very eyes. 50 and when We appointed for Moses forty nights [on Mount Sinai,] and in his absence you took to worshipping the [golden] calf, and thus became evildoers: 51 then We pardoned you after that, that haply you should be thankful. 52 We gave Moses the Book and the criteria (of discerning right from wrong) so that perhaps you would be rightly guided. 53 And [recall] when Moses said to his people, "O my people, indeed you have wronged yourselves by your taking of the calf [for worship]. So repent to your Creator and kill yourselves. That is best for [all of] you in the sight of your Creator." Then He accepted your repentance; indeed, He is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful. 54 And when you said, 'Moses, we will not believe thee till we see God openly'; and the thunderbolt took you while you were beholding. 55 Even then We revived you after you had become senseless that you might give thanks; 56 And We caused the white cloud to overshadow you and sent down on you the manna and the quails, (saying): Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided you - they wronged Us not, but they did wrong themselves. 57 And remember We said: "Enter this town, and eat of the plenty therein as ye wish; but enter the gate with humility, in posture and in words, and We shall forgive you your faults and increase (the portion of) those who do good." 58 But the transgressors perverted the words said to them entirely into a different thing. So We sent down upon the transgressors a severe torment from the sky: that was the punishment for the disobedience they were showing. 59