۞ From the earth We have created you, and to it We shall return you, and from it We shall raise you again. 55 And indeed We showed him all Our signs – so he denied them and did not accept. 56 He said: "Hast thou come to drive us out of our land by thy sorcery, O Moses? 57 by thy sorcery? We shall assuredly bring thee sorcery the like of it; therefore appoint a tryst between us and thee, a place mutually agreeable, and we shall not fail it, neither thou.' 58 Moses said: "Your tryst is the Day of the Festival, and let the people be assembled when the sun is well up." 59 After this the Pharaoh withdrew and settled his stratagem, then came back. 60 Musa (Moses) said to them: "Woe unto you! Invent not a lie against Allah, lest He should destroy you completely by a torment. And surely, he who invents a lie (against Allah) will fail miserably." 61 Then they debated with one another what they must do, and they kept their talk secret. 62 They said: Lo! these are two wizards who would drive you out from your country by their magic, and destroy your best traditions; 63 "So devise your plot, and then assemble in line. And whoever overcomes this day will be indeed successful." 64 They said to Moses: 'Will you throw down or shall we be the first? 65 He said: Nay, do ye throw! Then lo! their cords and their staves, by their magic, appeared to him as though they ran. 66 Moses became fearful within himself. 67 We said: fear not! verily thou! thou shalt be the superior. 68 Throw that which is in thy right hand! It will eat up that which they have made. Lo! that which they have made is but a wizard's artifice, and a wizard shall not be successful to whatever point (of skill) he may attain. 69 So the magicians fell down in prostration. They said, "We have believed in the Lord of Aaron and Moses." 70 (The Pharaoh) said: "You have come to believe without my dispensation. Surely he is your chief who taught you magic. I will have your hands and feet cut off on alternate sides and crucify you on the trunks of date-palm trees. You will come to know whose punishment is harder and protracted." 71 They said, "Never will we prefer you over what has come to us of clear proofs and [over] He who created us. So decree whatever you are to decree. You can only decree for this worldly life. 72 Verily we! we have believed in our Lord, that he may forgive us our faults, and that to which thou hast constrained us in the way of magic; and Allah is Best and Most Lasting. 73 VERILY, as for him who shall appear before his Sustainer [on Judgment Day] lost in sin - his [portion,] behold, shall be hell: he will neither die therein nor live; 74 whereas he who shall appear before Him as a believer who has done righteous deeds - it is such that shall have lofty stations [in the life to come]: 75 and shall live for ever in everlasting Gardens beneath which rivers flow. Such will be the reward of those who purify themselves. 76