How many a town (community), that were wrong-doers, have We destroyed, and raised up after them another people! 11 And when they tasted Our punishment, they immediately started fleeing from it. 12 "Do not flee; go back to your halls of pleasure and your habitations, so that you may be interrogated." 13 They cried: Alas for us! we were wrong-doers. 14 And this ceased not to be their cry until We made them a harvest reaped, extinguished. 15 Not for (idle) sport did We create the heavens and the earth and all that is between! 16 If We had pleased to make a plaything We could have made it Ourself, if We had cared to do so. 17 We will hurl the truth at falsehood, the falsehood shall be crushed and will disappear. Woe to you for what you utter. 18 And His is whosoever is in the heavens and the earth; and those nigh unto Him are not too stiff-necked for His worship nor are they weary. 19 They glorify Him night and day, without flagging. 20 Or have they taken gods out of the earth who raise the dead? 21 Had there been gods apart from God, both (the heavens and the earth) would have been despoiled. Much too glorious is God, the Lord of the mighty throne, for things they assert! 22 He cannot be questioned concerning what He does and they shall be questioned. 23 Or have they taken gods apart from Him? Say: 'Bring your proof! This is the Remembrance of him who is with me, and the Remembrance of those before me. Nay, but the most part of them know not the truth, so therefore they are turning away. 24 and [this despite the fact that even] before thy time We never sent any apostle without having revealed to him that there is no deity save Me, - [and that,] therefore, you shall worship Me [alone]! 25 They say 'The Merciful has taken a son' Exaltations to Him! No, they are only His honored worshipers, 26 They do not outstrip Him in speech and only act as He commands. 27 He knows whatever is before them and whatsoever is remote from them and they do not intercede except for him, intercession on whose behalf pleases Him, and they stand constantly in awe of Him. 28 ۞ The recompense of those of them who say that they are the Lord instead of God will be hell; thus, do We recompense the unjust ones. 29