۞ O Messenger, deliver that which has been sent down to thee from thy Lord; for if thou dost not, thou wilt not have delivered His Message. God will protect thee from men. God guides not the people of the unbelievers. 67 Say: "O followers of the Bible! You have no valid ground for your beliefs - unless you [truly] observe the Torah and the Gospel, and all that has been bestowed from on high upon you by your Sustainer!" Yet all that has been bestowed from on high upon thee [O Prophet] by thy Sustainer is bound to make many of them yet more stubborn in their overweening arrogance and in their denial of the truth. But sorrow not over people who deny the truth: 68 for, verily, those who have attained to faith [in this divine writ,] as well as those who follow the Jewish faith, and the Sabians, and the Christians - all who believe in God and the Last Day and do righteous deeds - no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve. 69 We made a covenant with the Descendants of Israel and sent Noble Messengers towards them; whenever a Noble Messenger came to them with whatever was not according to their own desires, they denied some of them and some they slew. 70 They thought there would be no trial; so they were blind and deaf. Then Allah turned towards them; then again many of them were blind and deaf. And Allah is the Seer of what they do. 71 They do blaspheme who say: "Allah is Christ the son of Mary." But said Christ: "O Children of Israel! worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord." Whoever joins other gods with Allah,- Allah will forbid him the garden, and the Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrong-doers be no one to help. 72 Assuredly they disbelieve who say: God is the third of the three; whereas there is no god except the One God. And if they desist not from that which they say, there shall surely befall those of them who have disbelieved a torment afflictive. 73 Why do they not turn to God and ask for His forgiveness? God is forgiving and merciful. 74 The Masih, son of Maryam, was naught but an apostle, surely there passed away apostles before him, and his mother was a saintly woman; both of them were wont to eat food. Behold how We expound unto them the evidences! Then behold whither they are deviating! 75 Say: Serve ye in place of Allah that which possesseth for you neither hurt nor use? Allah it is Who is the Hearer, the Knower. 76 Say: O People of the Scripture! Stress not in your religion other than the truth, and follow not the vain desires of folk who erred of old and led many astray, and erred from a plain road. 77