they have only to wait for one single blast [of punishment]: it shall not be delayed by one whit. 15 And they say: O our Lord! hasten on to us our portion before the day of reckoning. 16 [But] bear thou with patience whatever they may say, and remember Our servant David, him who was endowed with [so much] inner strength! He, verily, would always turn unto Us: 17 We subjugated the chiefs (of tribes) to struggle day and night with him, 18 and the birds, too, in their flocks, and turn again and again to celebrating Allah's glory. 19 We strengthened his kingdom, and gave him wisdom and speech decisive. 20 ۞ And has the news of the litigants reached you? When they climbed over the wall into (his) Mihrab (a praying place or a private room,). 21 When they reached David, he took fright, but they said, "Do not be afraid. We are two disputants, one of whom has wronged the other: judge between us fairly, 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 he, 'Assuredly he has wronged thee in asking for thy ewe in addition to his sheep; and indeed many intermixers do injury one against the other, save those who believe, and do deeds of righteousness -- and how few they are!' And David thought that We had only tried him; therefore he sought forgiveness of his Lord, and he fell down, bowing, and he repented. ۩ 24 So We forgave him. He has surely a high rank with Us and an excellent place of return. 25 (And it was said unto him): O David! Lo! We have set thee as a viceroy in the earth; therefor judge aright between mankind, and follow not desire that it beguile thee from the way of Allah. Lo! those who wander from the way of Allah have an awful doom, forasmuch as they forgot the Day of Reckoning. 26