We sent Noah to his nation. (He said:) 'I am a warner for you, and a bearer of glad tidings. 25 that you may worship none but God - for, verily, I fear lest suffering befall you on a grievous Day!" 26 The chiefs of those who disbelieved among his people said: we behold thee except as a human being like us, and we behold not any follow thee except the meanest of us, by an immature opinion; nor we behold in you any exellency over us; nay! we deem you liars. 27 Noah replied, "My people do you think - that if my Lord has sent me a miracle and granted me mercy but your ignorance has obscured them from your sight - we can force you to believe when you do not want to? 28 O my people, I do not ask you for any money for this; my reward comes only from God. I will not drive away those who believe; they shall surely meet their Lord. Yet I see that you are a people who act out of ignorance. 29 My people! Were I to drive the men of faith away, who will protect me from (the chastisement of) Allah? Do you not understand even this much? 30 “And I do not say to you, ‘I have the treasures of Allah’ nor that ‘I gain knowledge of the hidden’, nor do I say that, ‘I am an angel’ nor do I say to those whom your sights consider lowly, that Allah will never give them any good; Allah well knows what is in their hearts; if I do so, I would then be of the unjust.” 31 [But the great ones] said: "O Noah! Thou hast contended with us in argument, and hast [needlessly] prolonged our controversy: bring upon us, therefore, that with which thou dost threaten us, if thou art a man of truth!" 32 He said: "Truly, Allah will bring it on you if He wills,- and then, ye will not be able to frustrate it! 33 Nor would my good counsel profit you, even though I wished to give you good counsel, if Allah willed to keep you astray. He is your Lord, and unto Him ye shall be returned. 34 If they say, "He has invented it himself," say to them, "If I have indeed invented this myself, then may I be punished for my sin; I am innocent of the crimes that you commit." 35