Ask them about the village that overlooked the sea and what befell (its people) when they broke the Sabbath. Each Sabbath, their fish came swimming towards the shore, but on other days they did not come to them. As such We tempted them (the people) because they had done wrong. 163 And when a group among them said, “Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is going to destroy or mete out a severe punishment?” They said, “To have an excuse before your Lord, and that perhaps they may fear.” 164 So, when they forgot that they were reminded of; We delivered those who were forbidding wickedness, and We seized the evildoers with evil chastisement for their ungodliness. 165 And when they turned in disdain from that forbidding We said to them, 'Be you apes, miserably slinking!' 166 And recall what time thy Lord proclaimed that he would surely raise upon them, till the Day of Resurrection, someone perpetrating upon them worst oppression. Verily thy Lord is swift in chastising, and verily He is Forgiving, Merciful. 167 And We cut them up into communities on the earth; some of them righteous, and some of them otherwise; and We proved them with good and evil that haply they may return. 168 Then after them succeeded an (evil) generation, which inherited the Book, but they chose (for themselves) the goods of this low life (evil pleasures of this world) saying (as an excuse): "(Everything) will be forgiven to us." And if (again) the offer of the like (evil pleasures of this world) came their way, they would (again) seize them (would commit those sins). Was not the covenant of the Book taken from them that they would not say about Allah anything but the truth? And they have studied what is in it (the Book). And the home of the Hereafter is better for those who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious - see V. 2:2). Do not you then understand? 169 As for those who hold fast to the Book and are steadfast in prayer, We do not waste the wage of the righteous. 170 ۞ When We suspended the mountain over them as if it were a canopy, and they thought it was going to fall down on them, We said, "Hold on firmly to what We have given you and remember what is in it, so that you may remain conscious of God." 171