The hypocrites try to deceive God but He, in fact, deceives them. They stand up in prayer lazily just to show that they pray, but, in truth they remember God very little. 142 They vacillate between the two, belonging neither to one side nor the other. But for him whom God allows to go astray you can never find the way for him. 143 O believers, do not hold unbelievers as friends in preference to the faithful. Do you want to proffer a clear proof of your own guilt before God? 144 Surely the hypocrites are in the lowest stage of the fire and you shall not find a helper for them. 145 Except for those who repent, correct themselves, hold fast to Allah, and are sincere in their religion for Allah, for those will be with the believers. And Allah is going to give the believers a great reward. 146 And what will Allah gain by punishing you, if you acknowledge the truth and accept faith? And Allah is Most Appreciative, All Knowing. 147 ۞ Allah does not like speaking evil publicly unless one has been wronged. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. 148 (Even though you have the right to speak evil if you are wronged), if you keep doing good -whether openly or secretly -or at least pardon the evil (then that is the attribute of Allah). Allah is All-Pardoning and He has all the power to chastise. 149 There are those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers and seek to differentiate between Allah and His Messengers, and say: 'We believe in some and deny others, and seek to strike a way between the two.' 150 Those indeed are they who are denying the truth beyond doubt, and We have prepared a humiliating punishment for the deniers. 151 To those who believe in Allah and His messengers and make no distinction between any of the messengers, we shall soon give their (due) rewards: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. 152