And how many a city have We overthrown which were doing wrong, and We caused to grow up thereafter another nation! 11 When they felt Our punishment coming upon them, they began to flee from it. 12 Flee not, and return unto that wherein ye luxuriated and your habitations, haply ye will be questioned. 13 They said, 'Alas for us! We have been evildoers.' 14 And this their crying ceased not till We made them as reaped corn, extinct. 15 Not for (idle) sport did We create the heavens and the earth and all that is between! 16 Had We intended to take a pastime (i.e. a wife or a son, etc.), We could surely have taken it from Us, if We were going to do (that). 17 Nay, but We hurl the truth against falsehood and it prevails over it, and behold, falsehood vanishes away. Then woe to you for that you describe! 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; they flag not. 20 And yet some people choose to worship certain earthly things or beings as deities that [are supposed to] resurrect [the dead; and they fail to realize that,] 21 Had there been any gods in the heavens and the earth apart from Allah, the order of both the heavens and the earth would have gone to ruins. Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the Throne, Who is far above their false descriptions of Him. 22 He cannot be called to account for whatever He does, whereas they will be called to account: 23 Or have they set up other Gods besides Allah? Say, “Bring your proof; this is the remembrance of those with me and those before me”; but in fact most of them do not know the Truth, so they turn away. 24 And We did not send any Noble Messenger before you, but We divinely revealed to him that, “There is no God except I (Allah), therefore worship Me alone.” 25 And [yet,] some say: "The Most Gracious has taken unto Himself a son"! Limitless is He in His glory! Nay, [those whom they regard as God's "offspring" are but His] honoured servants: 26 They speak not before He speaks, and they act (in all things) by His Command. 27 He knows all that lies open before them and all that is hidden from them: hence, they cannot intercede for any but those whom He has [already] graced with His goodly acceptance, since they themselves stand in reverent awe of Him. 28 ۞ If any of them says, 'I am a god apart from Him', such a one We recompense with Gehenna; even so We recompense the evildoers. 29