۞ And assuredly We vouchsafed unto Da'ud grace from us, and said: mountains! repeat Our praise with him; and also ye birds! And We softened for him the iron. 10 [Commanding him], "Make full coats of mail and calculate [precisely] the links, and work [all of you] righteousness. Indeed I, of what you do, am Seeing." 11 We (subjugated) the wind to Solomon. Its morning's journey took one month, and the evening's one month. We made a spring of molten brass to flow for him; and many jinns laboured for him by the will of his Lord. Anyone of them who turned from Our command was made to taste the torment of blazing fire. 12 They worked for him as he desired, (making) arches, images, basons as large as reservoirs, and (cooking) cauldrons fixed (in their places): "Work ye, sons of David, with thanks! but few of My servants are grateful!" 13 Yet [even Solomon had to die; but] when We decreed that he should die, nothing showed them that he was dead except an earthworm that gnawed away his staff. And when he fell to the ground, those invisible beings [subservient to him] saw clearly that, had they but understood the reality which was beyond the reach of their perception, they would not have continued [to toil] in the shameful suffering [of servitude] 14 For the people of Sheba there was a sign in their homeland: two gardens, one on the right hand and the other on the left. We said to them: "Eat what your Lord has provided for you, and be grateful. You have a good land and a Lord most forgiving." 15 In response they turned away – We therefore sent upon them a tremendous flood, and in exchange of their two gardens gave them two gardens bearing bitter fruit, and tamarisk, and some berries. 16 We requited them in that way because of their ingratitude. We requite no one in that way but the ungrateful. 17 Between them and the cities We had blessed We placed towns along the highway, and made them stages on their journey, (saying): "Travel between them in safety by day or by night." 18 but they said, "Our Lord! Make the stages of our journeys longer." Thus they wronged themselves and We made them bygone tales and scattered them throughout the land. There are certainly signs in that for everyone who is steadfast and thankful. 19 Satan was correct in his assessment of them and they all followed him, except for a band of true believers, 20 Yet he had no authority over them except that We would know who believed in the Everlasting Life, from he who doubted. Your Lord is the Watcher over all things. 21