The hypocrites seek to outwit God -- but it is He who outwits them. And when they stand up for prayer, they do so reluctantly and to be seen by others, and they hardly remember God at all. 142 wavering between this and that, [true] neither to these nor those. But for him whom God lets go astray thou canst never find any way. 143 Believers! Do not take the unbelievers as your allies in preference to the believers. Do you wish to offer Allah a clear proof of guilt against yourselves? 144 Surely the hypocrites are in the lowest stage of the fire and you shall not find a helper for them. 145 But those who repent and mend (their ways), who hold fast to Allah, and make their religion sincerely for Allah they are with the believers, and Allah will certainly give the believers a great wage. 146 Why should God punish you if you give thanks and believe in Him? God is All-rewarding and All-forgiving. 147 ۞ Allah does not like speaking evil publicly unless one has been wronged. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. 148 Whether ye disclose a good or conceal it, or pardon an evil, then verily Allah is ever Pardoning potent. 149 Verily, those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers and wish to make distinction between Allah and His Messengers (by believing in Allah and disbelieving in His Messengers) saying, "We believe in some but reject others," and wish to adopt a way in between. 150 It is they, indeed they, who are, beyond all doubt, unbelievers; and for the unbelievers We have prepared a humiliating chastisement. 151 To those who believe in Allah and His messengers and make no distinction between any of the messengers, we shall soon give their (due) rewards: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. 152