And ask the people of Moses concerning the town situated along the sea how its people profaned the Sabbath when fish came to them breaking the water's surface on Sabbath days, and would not come to them on other than Sabbath-days. Thus did We try them because of their disobedience. 163 And when some asked: 'Why do you admonish a nation whom Allah will destroy or sternly punish' They replied: '(Seeking) a pardon from your Lord, and in order that they may be cautious' 164 And when they forgot that whereof they had been reminded, We rescued those who forbade wrong, and visited those who did wrong with dreadful punishment because they were evil-livers. 165 Consequently when they rebelled against the command to refrain, We said to them, “Be apes, despised!” 166 And remember when your Lord announced the command that till the Day of Resurrection I will certainly send such oppressors against them, who will inflict them with a dreadful punishment; indeed your Lord is swift in meting out punishment; and indeed He is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful. 167 And We have sundered them in the earth as (separate) nations. Some of them are righteous, and some far from that. And We have tried them with good things and evil things that haply they might return. 168 Their descendants who inherited the Book gained (by bribery only) worthless things from the worldly life saying, "We shall be forgiven (for what we have done). They would have even doubled such gains if they could have received more. Did they not make a covenant (with God) in the Book not to speak any thing other than the Truth about God and to study its contents well? The life hereafter is much better for the pious ones. Will you not then think? 169 As to those who hold fast by the Book and establish regular prayer,- never shall We suffer the reward of the righteous to perish. 170 ۞ And recall what time We shook the mountain over them as though it were a canopy, and they imagined that it was going to fall on them; and We said: hold with firmness that which We have vouchsafed you, and remember that which is therein, that haply ye may fear. 171