۞ We bestowed upon David great favour. We said, "O mountains and birds! Join with him in celebrating Our praise." We softened iron for him, saying, 10 Saying: Make ample (coats of mail), and assign a time to the making of coats of mail and do good; surely I am Seeing what you do. 11 We subjected the wind to Solomon; its morning course was a month and its evening course a month; and We caused a fount of molten copper to flow for him. And of the jinn there were some who worked under him, by the command of his Lord. If any one of them turned away from Our command, We would make him taste the punishment of the burning fire. 12 They worked for him whatsoever he pleased of lofty halls and statues and basins like cisterns and cauldrons standing firm. Work ye, house of Da'ud! with thanksgiving; few of My bondmen are thankful. 13 So when We sent the command of death towards him, no one revealed his death to the jinns except the termite of the earth which ate his staff; and when he came to the ground, the truth about the jinns was exposed – if they had known the hidden, they would not have remained in the disgraceful toil. 14 Assuredly there was for Saba a sign in their own dwelling-place: two gardens on the right hand and on the left. And it was said unto them: eat ye of the provision of your Lord and give thanks unto Him; a fair land and a forgiving Lord. 15 But they were froward, so We sent on them the flood of 'Iram, and in exchange for their two gardens gave them two gardens bearing bitter fruit, the tamarisk and here and there a lote-tree. 16 This We awarded them because of their ingratitude. Punish We ever any save the ingrates? 17 And We had placed between them and the cities which We had blest cities easy to be seen, and We had made the stages of journey between them easy; travel in them nights and days secure. 18 But [insolently] they said, "Our Lord, lengthen the distance between our journeys," and wronged themselves, so We made them narrations and dispersed them in total dispersion. Indeed in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful. 19 Satan was correct in his assessment of them and they all followed him, except for a band of true believers, 20 He did not have any authority over them except to the extent that would allow Us to know who had faith in the life to come and who had doubts about it. Your Lord is a Guard over all things. 21