And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: "If you give thanks (by accepting Faith and worshipping none but Allah), I will give you more (of My Blessings), but if you are thankless (i.e. disbelievers), verily! My Punishment is indeed severe." 7 And Moses said: Though ye and all who are in the earth prove thankless, lo! Allah verily is Absolute, Owner of Praise. 8 Has not the news of those before you, the people of Noah and 'Ad and Thamud, and those who came after them, come to you? None knows (about) them except God. Their apostles came to them with clear proofs, but they tried to silence them and said: "We do not believe in what you have been sent with, and we are in doubt of what you call us to, about which we are in disquiet.' 9 ۞ Their Messengers said: "Can there be any doubt about Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth? He invites you that He may forgive you your sins and grant you respite till an appointed term." They replied: "You are only a human being like ourselves. You seek to prevent us from serving those whom our forefathers have been serving all along. If that is so, produce a clear authority for it." 10 The Messengers replied, "We are certainly mere mortals like you, but God bestows His favors on whichever of His servants He wants. We can not bring you authority without the permission of God. The faithful should trust in God alone. 11 And why should we not repose our trust in God when He has shown us our paths of duty to Him? We shall bear with fortitude the hardships you inflict upon us. The trusting place their trust in God." 12