And ask them about the town which stood by the sea; when they exceeded the limits of the Sabbath, when their fish came to them on the day of their Sabbath, appearing on the surface of the water, and on the day on which they did not keep the Sabbath they did not come to them; thus did We try them because they transgressed. 163 And when a community among them said: Why preach ye to a folk whom Allah is about to destroy or punish with an awful doom, they said: In order to be free from guilt before your Lord, and that haply they may ward off (evil). 164 Therefore when they forgot what they had been reminded of, We saved those who had tried to prevent the doing of evil. And We meted out a severe punishment to the transgressors because they were rebellious. 165 When in their insolence they transgressed (all) prohibitions, We said to them: "Be ye apes, despised and rejected." 166 And your Lord declared He would send men against them who would inflict dreadful suffering on them till the Day of Doom, for your Lord is swift in retribution, though He is certainly forgiving and kind. 167 And We divided them in the earth as separate groups; some of them are righteous and some are the other type; and We tested them with good (favours) and evil things (adversities) so that they may return. 168 Their descendants who inherited the Book gained (by bribery only) worthless things from the worldly life saying, "We shall be forgiven (for what we have done). They would have even doubled such gains if they could have received more. Did they not make a covenant (with God) in the Book not to speak any thing other than the Truth about God and to study its contents well? The life hereafter is much better for the pious ones. Will you not then think? 169 And (as for) those who hold fast by the Book and keep up prayer, surely We do not waste the reward of the right doers. 170 ۞ And [did We not say,] when We caused Mount Sinai to quake above the children of Israel as though it were a [mere] shadow, and they thought that it would fall upon them, "Hold fast with [all your] strength unto what We have vouchsafed you, and bear in mind all that is therein, so that you might remain conscious of God"? 171