And present to them an example: the people of the city, when the messengers came to it - 13 When We sent them two messengers, they rejected them both, so We strengthened them with a third. They said, "Truly, we have been sent to you [by God] as messengers." 14 They said: Ye are but mortals like unto us. The Beneficent hath naught revealed. Ye do but lie! 15 They said, "Our Lord knows that We are Messengers 16 and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.” 17 They said: verily we augur ill of you; if ye desist not, we shall surely stone you, and there will befall you from us a torment afflictive. 18 They said: your evil augury be with you. Call ye it an ill-luck because ye are admonished! Aye! ye are a people extravagant. 19 Then a man came running from the other side of the city. "O my people," he said, "follow the messengers. 20 follow those who ask no wage of you and are rightly guided. 21 For what cause should I not serve Him Who hath created me, and unto Whom ye will be brought back? 22 Should I worship other gods besides Him? If the Beneficent God was to afflict me with hardship, the intercession of the idols can be of no benefit to me nor could it rescue me from hardship. 23 In that case I would surely be in clear error. 24 “Indeed I have believed in your Lord, so heed me.” 25 (But they stoned him to death.) It was said to him: "Enter Paradise;" and he said: "If only my people knew 26 that my Lord has forgiven me and that He has placed me among the honoured.' 27 ۞ And after him, We did not send down any army from heaven against his people, nor did We intend to send down an army. 28 nothing was [needed] but one single blast [of Our punishment] - and lo! they became as still and silent as ashes. 29 Woe to human beings! Whenever a Messenger came to them, they mocked him. 30 See they not how many generations before them we destroyed? Not to them will they return: 31 And indeed, all of them will yet be brought present before Us. 32