Say, "If you love God, follow me and God will love you and forgive you your sins. God is most forgiving, and most merciful." 31 Say: "Pay heed unto God and the Apostle." And if they turn away - verely, God does not love those who deny the truth. 32 ۞ God chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of 'Imran above all His creatures. 33 Descendants, some of them from others. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing. 34 (He also heard) when the woman of 'Imran said: 'O Lord! Behold, unto You do I vow that the child in my womb is to be devoted to Your exclusive service. Accept it, then, from me. Surely You alone are All-Hearing, All-Knowing.' 35 And when she had given birth to the child, she said: "O Lord, I have delivered but a girl." -- But God knew better what she had delivered: A boy could not be as that girl was. "I have named her Mary," (she said), "and I give her into Your keeping. Preserve her and her children from Satan the ostracized." 36 Then her Lord accepted her with goodly acceptance and made her grow up with a goodly growth, and He made Zakariyya take care of her. So oft as Zakariyya entered the apartment to see her, he found provision by her. He said: O Maryam! whence hast thou this! She said: this is from before Allah. Verily Allah provideth for whomsoever He will without reckoning. 37 Then Zachariah prayed to his Lord saying, 'Lord, give me of Thy goodness a goodly offspring. Yea, Thou hearest prayer.' 38 Then the angels called unto him even while he stood praying in the apartment: verily Allah announceth unto thee Yahya confessing to a word from Allah, and a leader, and a chaste and a prophet of the righteous ones. 39 He said, "How can there be a son for me when I am already senile and my wife is barren." The angel replied, "God does as He wills." 40 He said, "My Lord, make for me a sign." He Said, "Your sign is that you will not [be able to] speak to the people for three days except by gesture. And remember your Lord much and exalt [Him with praise] in the evening and the morning." 41