۞ From the earth We created you, and into it We will return you, and from it We will extract you another time. 55 And We certainly showed Pharaoh Our signs - all of them - but he denied and refused. 56 He said: "Hast thou come to drive us out of our land by thy sorcery, O Moses? 57 "But we can surely produce magic to match thine! So make a tryst between us and thee, which we shall not fail to keep - neither we nor thou - in a place where both shall have even chances." 58 Said Moosa, “Your meeting is the day of the festival, and that the people be assembled at late morning.” 59 Then Pharaoh went and gathered his strength, then came (to the appointed tryst). 60 Musa said to them: Woe to you! do not forge a lie against Allah, lest He destroy you by a punishment, and he who forges (a lie) indeed fails to attain (his desire). 61 Then they [the magicians] conferred among themselves, whispering to one another. 62 and said, "These two people are magicians. They want to expel you from your land through their magic and to destroy your own tradition. 63 Therefore settle your plan, then come standing in ranks and he will prosper indeed this day who overcomes. 64 They said: O Moses! Either throw first, or let us be the first to throw? 65 He said: nay, cast ye down. And lo! their cords and their staves were made to appear to him by their magic as though they were running. 66 and Moses conceived a fear within him. 67 [But] We said: "Fear not! Verily, it is thou who shalt prevail! 68 "And throw that which is in your right hand! It will swallow up that which they have made. That which they have made is only a magician's trick, and the magician will never be successful, no matter whatever amount (of skill) he may attain." 69 So the magicians fell down prostrate. They said: "We believe in the Lord of Harun (Aaron) and Musa (Moses)." 70 Said [Pharaoh]: "Have you come to believe in him ere I have given you permission? Verily, he must be your master who has taught you magic! But I shall most certainly cut off your hands and feet in great numbers, because of [your] perverseness, and I shall most certainly crucify you in great numbers on trunks of palm-trees: and [I shall do this] so that you might come to know for certain as to which of us [two] can inflict a more severe chastisement, and [which] is the more abiding!" 71 They (the magicians) said, "We would never prefer you to the miracles that we have seen or to our Creator. Do what you want. This life is only for a short time. 72 "Verily! We have believed in our Lord, that He may forgive us our faults, and the magic to which you did compel us. And Allah is better as regards reward in comparison to your [Fir'aun's (Pharaoh)] reward, and more lasting (as regards punishment in comparison to your punishment)." 73 Surely for him who comes before his Lord a sinner shall be Hell, where he will neither die 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 Gardens of perpetual residence beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally. And that is the reward of one who purifies himself. 76