And they [who now deny the truth - they, too,] have but to wait for one single blast [of punishment to overtake them]: it shall not be delayed a whit. 15 They say: "Our Lord! Hasten on for us our fate before the Day of Reckoning." 16 Bear with what they say, and remember Our bondman David, lord of might, Lo! he was ever turning in repentance (toward Allah). 17 We subjected the mountains to exalt (Me) with him in the evening and at sunrise, 18 and the birds, too, in flocks, all turned to Him. 19 And We strengthened his kingdom and We gave him wisdom and a clear judgment. 20 ۞ And did the news of the two disputants reach you? When they scaled over the wall into Dawud’s mosque. 21 When they came before David, he was frightened of them. "Do not be afraid," they said. "The two of us are disputing the wrong one has done the other. So judge between us with equity, and do not be unjust, and guide us to the right path. 22 Verily this my brother hath nine and ninety ewes while I have one ewe; and he saith: entrust it to me, and he hath prevailed upon me in speech. 23 Said [David]: "He has certainly wronged thee by demanding that thy ewe be added to his ewes! Thus, behold, do many kinsmen wrong one another [all] save those who believe [in God] and do righteous deeds: but how few are they!" And [suddenly] David understood that We had tried him: and so he asked his Sustainer to forgive him his sin, and fell down in prostration, and turned unto Him in repentance. ۩ 24 And thereupon We forgave him that [sin]: and verily, nearness to Us awaits him [in the life to come,] and the most beauteous of all goals! 25 “O Dawud! We have indeed appointed you as a Viceroy in the earth, therefore judge between mankind with the truth, and do not follow desire for it will lead you astray from Allah’s path; indeed for those who stray away from Allah’s path is a severe punishment, because they forgot the Day of Reckoning.” 26