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 We raised the Mount high above them and took from them a covenant (to obey the commandment), and ordered them: 'Enter the gate in the state of prostration.' And We said to them: 'Do not violate the law of the Sabbath', and took from them a firm 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 for their unbelief and for their having uttered against Marium a grievous calumny. 156 That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah";- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:- 157 God raised him up to Himself. God is Majestic and All-wise. 158 And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Judgment he will be a witness against them;- 159 For the iniquity of the Jews We made unlawful for them certain (foods) good and wholesome which had been lawful for them;- in that they hindered many from Allah's Way;- 160 and [for] their taking usury although it had been forbidden to them, and their wrongful devouring of other people's possessions. And for those from among them who [continue to] deny the truth We have readied grievous suffering. 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