۞ Recite to them in all truth the news of Adam's two sons; how they each made an offering, and how the offering of the one was accepted while that of the other was not. He said: 'I will surely kill you' (The other) said: 'Allah accepts only from the righteous. 27 Even if thou lay thy hand on me to slay me, I shall not lay my hand on thee to slay thee: behold, I fear God, the Sustainer of all the worlds. 28 I would rather you bear my sin and your sin and become among the inhabitants of Hell. Such is the recompense of the harmdoers' 29 But (the other's) mind imposed on him the killing of his brother, so he slew him and became one of the losers. 30 Then God sent a raven which scratched the ground in order to show him how to hide the nakedness of his brother. "Alas, the woe," said he, "that I could not be even like the raven and hide the nakedness of my brother," and was filled with remorse. 31 For this reason, We made it a law for the children of Israel that the killing of a person for reasons other than legal retaliation or for stopping corruption in the land is as great a sin as murdering all of mankind. However, to save a life would be as great a virtue as to save all of mankind. Our Messengers had come to them with clear authoritative evidence but many of them (Israelites) thereafter started doing wrong in the land. 32 The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land. Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter theirs will be an awful doom; 33 As for those who repent before you (the legal authorities) have control over them (by proving their guilts). They should know that God is All-forgiving and All-merciful. 34