[And thus will God continue:] "O you who have lived in close communion with [evil] invisible beings and [like-minded] humans! Have there not come unto you apostles from among yourselves, who conveyed unto you My messages and warned you of the coming of this your Day [of Judgment]?" They will answer: "We do bear witness against ourselves!" - for the life of this world had beguiled them: and so they will bear witness against themselves that they had been denying the truth. 130 Your Lord would not destroy a community for its wrongdoing, so long as its people were still unaware. 131 Every one has his place according to his deeds, for your Lord is not negligent of what you do. 132 And thine Lord is Self-Sufficient, the Owner of mercy. If He will, He can take you away, and make those succeed you, after you, whomsoever He will, even as He raised you from the seed of another people. 133 Surely, that which you are promised will verily come to pass, and you cannot escape (from the Punishment of Allah). 134 Say, "O my people! Go on acting in your way; indeed I am going to act in my way; soon you will know whose end will be best in the Hereafter." Surely, the wrongdoers shall not prosper. 135 They assign to Allah a portion out of the produce and cattle that He has created, saying out of their fancy: 'This is for Allah' - so they deem -'and this is for the associates (of Allah) whom we have contrived.' Then, the portion assigned to the beings whom they have set up as associates (of Allah) does not reach Allah, but the portion assigned to Allah reaches the beings they set up as associates (of Allah)! Indeed evil is what they decide! 136 And likewise, their belief in beings or powers that are supposed to have a share in God's divinity makes [even] the slaying of their children seem goodly to many of those who ascribe divinity to aught beside God, thus bringing them to ruin and confusing them in their faith. Yet, unless God had so willed, they would not be doing all this: stand, therefore, aloof from them and all their false imagery! 137 They, (the pagans), have said that their cattle and farms are dedicated to private idols and that no one can consume (the produce) except those whom We wanted, in their opinion. They prohibited the riding of certain animals and they ate the flesh of certain animals slaughtered without a mention of the Name of God. Instead, they ascribed falsehood to Him. They will all be given an evil recompense for their sinful invention. 138 And they say: What is in the wombs of these cattle is specially for our males, and forbidden to our wives, and if it be stillborn, then they are all partners in it; He will reward them for their attributing (falsehood to Allah); surely He is Wise, Knowing. 139 Indeed lost are they who have killed their children, from folly, without knowledge, and have forbidden that which Allah has provided for them, inventing a lie against Allah. They have indeed gone astray and were not guided. 140