And propound thou unto them the similitude of the inhabitants of a town, when there came thereto the sent ones. 13 We sent to them two, but they belied them so We reinforced them with a third. They said: 'We have surely been sent as Messengers to you' 14 "You are only men like us," they replied; "Ar-Rahman has not sent down any thing. You are speaking only lies." 15 They said, "Our Lord knows that We are Messengers 16 "And our duty is only to convey plainly (the Message)." 17 They rejoined: "We feel you augur ill. If you do not desist, we shall stone you to death, and inflict a grievous punishment on you." 18 They said: "Your evil omens are with yourselves: (deem ye this an evil omen). If ye are admonished? Nay, but ye are a people transgressing all bounds!" 19 And from the outermost part of the city came a man running; he said, “O my people! Obey those who have been sent.” 20 Follow those who do not ask of you [any] payment, and they are [rightly] guided. 21 "It would not be reasonable in me if I did not serve Him Who created me, and to Whom ye shall (all) be brought back. 22 "Shall I take (other) gods besides Him? If (Allah) Most Gracious should intend some adversity for me, of no use whatever will be their intercession for me, nor can they deliver me. 23 and so, behold, I would have indeed, most obviously, lost myself in error! 24 "Verily, [O my people,] in the Sustainer of you all have I come to believe: listen, then, to me!" 25 We said to him, "Enter paradise," and he exclaimed: "Would that my people knew 26 how my Lord has forgiven me and placed me among the honoured ones!" 27 ۞ We sent not down against his people after him a host from heaven, nor do We ever send. 28 It was just one scream, and with it they were extinguished. 29 Alas for men! No apostle ever came to them but they made fun of him. 30 See they not how many generations before them we destroyed? Not to them will they return: 31 and [that] all of them, all together, will [in the end] before Us be arraigned? 32