The People of the Scripture ask you to bring down to them a book from the heaven. But they had asked of Moses [even] greater than that and said, "Show us Allah outright," so the thunderbolt struck them for their wrongdoing. Then they took the calf [for worship] after clear evidences had come to them, and We pardoned that. And We gave Moses a clear authority. 153 And for their covenant we raised over them (the towering height) of Mount (Sinai); and (on another occasion) we said: "Enter the gate with humility"; and (once again) we commanded them: "Transgress not in the matter of the sabbath." And we took from them a solemn covenant. 154 But they broke their covenant; and they rejected the signs of God; and put the prophets to death without justification, and said, "Our hearts are sealed." It is God who has sealed their hearts, on account of their denial of the truth. Except for a few of them, they have no faith. 155 And because of their (Jews) disbelief and uttering against Maryam (Mary) a grave false charge (that she has committed illegal sexual intercourse); 156 And because of their saying (in boast), "We killed Messiah 'Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), the Messenger of Allah," - but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but the resemblance of 'Iesa (Jesus) was put over another man (and they killed that man), and those who differ therein are full of doubts. They have no (certain) knowledge, they follow nothing but conjecture. For surely; they killed him not [i.e. 'Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)]: 157 but Allah raised him to Himself. Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise. 158 And there is none from the People of the Scripture but that he will surely believe in Jesus before his death. And on the Day of Resurrection he will be against them a witness. 159 We made unlawful for the Jews certain pure things which had been lawful for them before, because of the injustice which they had committed, their obstructing many people from the way of God, 160 That they took usury, though they were forbidden; and that they devoured men's substance wrongfully;- we have prepared for those among them who reject faith a grievous 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