The unbelievers said to their apostles: "We shall drive you out of our land, or else you come back to our fold." Their Lord then communicated to them: "We shall annihilate these wicked people, 13 "And verily We shall cause you to abide in the land, and succeed them. This for such as fear the Time when they shall stand before My tribunal,- such as fear the punishment denounced." 14 And they sought help (from their Lord) and every froward potentate was bought to naught; 15 Hell is before him and he shall be given to drink of festering water: 16 gulping it [unceasingly,] little by little, and yet hardly able to swallow it. And death will beset him from every quarter - but he shall not die: for [yet more] severe suffering lies ahead of him. 17 The parable of those who disbelieve in their Lord: their actions are like ashes on which the wind blows hard on a stormy day; they shall not have power over any thing out of what they have earned; this is the great error. 18 Do you not realize that God has created the heavens and the earth for a genuine purpose 19 that is no difficult thing for God. 20 (On the Day of Judgment) everyone will appear before God and those who have been suppressed will say to their oppressors, "We were your followers, can you do anything to rescue us from the torment of God?" They will reply, "Had God guided us, we would also have guided you. It makes no difference whether we cry for help or exercise patience; there is no escape for us." 21