۞ God certainly made a solemn covenant with the children of Israel and raised among them twelve elders. God said to them, "I am with you if you will be steadfast in your prayers, pay (zakat) religious tax, believe in My Messengers, support them with reverence, and give a generous loan for the cause of God." We shall expiate your bad deeds and admit you to the gardens wherein streams flow. Whichever of you turns to disbelief after this has certainly gone astray (from the right path)." 12 So for their breaking their compact We cursed them and made their hearts hard, they perverting words from their meanings; and they have forgotten a portion of that they were reminded of; and thou wilt never cease to light upon some act of treachery on their part, except a few of them. Yet pardon them, and forgive; surely God loves the good-doers. 13 And of them who say: verily we are Nazarenes, We took a bond from them, but they have abandoned a good portion of that wherewith they were admonished. Wherefore We have occasioned enmity and hatred amongst them till the Day of Judgement, and presently Allah shall declare unto them that which they have been performing. 14 People of the Book, now there has come to you Our Messenger, making clear to you many things you have been concealing of the Book, and effacing many things. There has come to you from God a light, and a Book Manifest 15 Wherewith Allah guides all those who seek His Good Pleasure to ways of peace, and He brings them out of darkness by His Will unto light and guides them to a Straight Way (Islamic Monotheism). 16 Indeed those who said: 'Christ, the son of Mary, he is indeed God', disbelieved. Say (O Muhammad!): 'Who could have overruled Allah had He so willed to destroy Christ, the son of Mary, and his mother, and all those who are on earth?' For to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them; He creates what He wills. Allah is All-Powerful. 17 The Jews and the Christians say, "We are the children of God and His beloved ones." Say, "Then why does He punish you for your sins? Indeed, you are but human beings among those He has created. He forgives whom He pleases and punishes whom He pleases. The kingdom of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, belong to God and all shall return to Him." 18 O you people of the Book, Our Apostle has come to you when apostles had ceased to come long ago, lest you said: "There did not come to us any messenger of good news or of warnings." So now there has reached you a bearer of good tidings and of warnings; for God has the power over all things. 19