Those who deny the truth said to their messengers, "We shall banish you from our land unless you return to our ways." But their Lord inspired the messengers, saying, "We shall destroy the evil-doers, 13 and We will surely make you to dwell in the land after them -- that, for him who fears My station and fears My threat.' 14 Then (the apostles) asked of God's assistance, and every arrogant tyrant was frustrated: 15 Hell went after him, and he will be made to drink liquid pus*. (* Discharged from the wounds of other people in hell.) 16 He will sip it, yet will not be able to gulp it down. Death will crowd in upon him from every side, but die he will not. A terrible torment trails him. 17 [This, then, is] the parable of those who are bent on denying their Sustainer: all their works are as ashes which the wind blows about fiercely on a stormy day: [in the life to come,] they cannot achieve any benefit whatever from all [the good] that they may have wrought: for this [denial of God] is indeed the farthest one can go astray. 18 Do you not see that Allah created the heavens and the earth in Truth? Were He to will, He could take you away and bring a new creation. 19 that is surely no great matter for God. 20 When they will all appear before God together, the weak will say to those who were arrogant: "We were your followers, so can you now save us a little from God's punishment?" They will say: "If we had been guided by God we would surely have shown you the way. To lament or endure is all the same to us now. No getting away is there for us." 21