THE FOLLOWERS of the Old Testament demand of thee [O Prophet] that thou cause a revelation to be sent down to them from heaven. And an even greater thing than this did they demand of Moses when they said, "Make us see God face to face" - whereupon the thunderbolt of punishment overtook them for this their wickedness. After that, they took to worshipping the [golden] calf - and this after all evidence of the truth had come unto them! None the less, We effaced this [sin of theirs,] and vouchsafed unto Moses a clear proof [of the truth,] 153 And We raised the Mount above them, and took covenant with them, and We said: 'Enter in at the gate, prostrating', and We said to them, 'Do not transgress the Sabbath', and We took from them a solemn covenant. 154 And [We cursed them] for their breaking of the covenant and their disbelief in the signs of Allah and their killing of the prophets without right and their saying, "Our hearts are wrapped". Rather, Allah has sealed them because of their disbelief, so they believe not, except for a few. 155 And because of their disbelief and of their speaking against Mary a tremendous calumny; 156 And because of their saying (in boast), "We killed Messiah 'Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), the Messenger of Allah," - but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but the resemblance of 'Iesa (Jesus) was put over another man (and they killed that man), and those who differ therein are full of doubts. They have no (certain) knowledge, they follow nothing but conjecture. For surely; they killed him not [i.e. 'Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)]: 157 Nay! Allah took him up to Himself; and Allah is Mighty, Wise. 158 Yet there is not one of the followers of earlier revelation who does not, at the moment of his death, grasp the truth about Jesus; and on the Day of Resurrection he [himself] shall bear witness to the truth against them. 159 Wherefore because of the wrongdoing on the part of those who are Judaised We forbade unto them the clean things that had been allowed unto them, and also because of their keeping away many from Allah's way; 160 for taking usury, when they had been forbidden to do so. And because of their devouring people's wealth wrongfully. We have prepared a painful punishment for those of them who [continue to] deny the truth. 161 But those of them that are firmly rooted in knowledge, and the believers believing in what has been sent down to you (Prophet Muhammad), and what was sent down before you, and those who establish the prayer and pay the obligatory charity, and those who believe in Allah and the Last Day to those, We surely give a great wage. 162