۞ From the earth We created you, and into it We will return you, and from it We will extract you another time. 55 And indeed We showed him all Our signs – so he denied them and did not accept. 56 He said: art thou come unto us that thou mayest drive us out of our land by thy magic, O Musa! 57 "But we can surely produce magic to match thine! So make a tryst between us and thee, which we shall not fail to keep - neither we nor thou - in a place where both shall have even chances." 58 Moses said: "Your tryst is the Day of the Festival, and let the people be assembled when the sun is well up." 59 So Pharaoh withdrew, devised his stratagem and returned. 60 Moses said to the magicians summoned by Pharaoh, "Woe to you! Do not invent a lie against Allah or He will exterminate you with a punishment; and he has failed who invents [such falsehood]." 61 So they discussed their strategy among themselves and conferred privately, 62 saying: 'These two are sorcerers whose aim is to drive you from your land by their sorcery and destroy your noble ways. 63 So resolve upon your plan and then come [forward] in line. And he has succeeded today who overcomes." 64 They said: O Moses! Either throw first, or let us be the first to throw? 65 Moses said, "You throw down first." Suddenly their ropes and staffs appeared to him, by their magic, to be moving about rapidly, 66 So Moses conceived in his mind a (sort of) fear. 67 We said: "Fear not! for thou hast indeed the upper hand: 68 Throw down what is in your right hand: It will swallow up what they have conjured. For what they have fashioned is only a trick of the sorcerer; and a sorcerer does not succeed wherever he may come." 69 Thereafter the sorcerers threw themselves down, prostrating, saying: 'We believe in the Lord of Aaron and Moses' 70 (Firon) said: You believe in him before I give you leave; most surely he is the chief of you who taught you enchantment, therefore I will certainly cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will certainly crucify you on the trunks of the palm trees, and certainly you will come to know which of us is the more severe and the more abiding in chastising. 71 They replied: "We cannot choose you in the face of the clear testimony we have received, and over Him who created us. So do what you are determined to do. All that you would do will only be confined to our life on earth. 72 We have certainly come to believe in our Lord that He may forgive our trespasses and the magic you have forced us to perform, for God is nobler and abiding." 73 Indeed, whoever comes to his Lord as a criminal - indeed, for him is Hell; he will neither die therein nor live. 74 But he who comes to Him with faith and righteous works shall be exalted to high ranks, 75 Gardens Everlasting whereunder rivers flow: abiders therein; that is the meed of him who hath purified himself. 76