[And thus will God continue:] "O you who have lived in close communion with [evil] invisible beings and [like-minded] humans! Have there not come unto you apostles from among yourselves, who conveyed unto you My messages and warned you of the coming of this your Day [of Judgment]?" They will answer: "We do bear witness against ourselves!" - for the life of this world had beguiled them: and so they will bear witness against themselves that they had been denying the truth. 130 (They will be made to bear this witness to show that) it is not the way of your Lord to destroy cities unjustly while their people were unaware of the Truth. 131 For all there will be degrees (or ranks) according to what they did. And your Lord is not unaware of what they do. 132 And your Lord is the Free of need, the possessor of mercy. If He wills, he can do away with you and give succession after you to whomever He wills, just as He produced you from the descendants of another people. 133 The promise that was made to you is bound to be fulfilled. It is not in your power to defeat it. 134 Say thou: O my people! go on acting in your way, verily I am going to act in my way, presently ye shall know whose will be the happy end of the abode; and verily the wrong-doers will not fare well. 135 And the polytheists assign to Allah from that which He created of crops and livestock a share and say, "This is for Allah," by their claim, "and this is for our partners [associated with Him]." But what is for their "partners" does not reach Allah, while what is for Allah - this reaches their "partners." Evil is that which they rule. 136 And similarly, their partners (the devils) have made the killing of their children seem righteous in the sight of many of the polytheists, in order to ruin them and make their religion blurred to them; and if Allah willed they would not do so, therefore leave them alone with their fabrications. 137 They, (the pagans), have said that their cattle and farms are dedicated to private idols and that no one can consume (the produce) except those whom We wanted, in their opinion. They prohibited the riding of certain animals and they ate the flesh of certain animals slaughtered without a mention of the Name of God. Instead, they ascribed falsehood to Him. They will all be given an evil recompense for their sinful invention. 138 And they say, 'What is within the bellies of these cattle is reserved for our males and forbidden to our spouses; but if it be dead, then they all shall be partners in it.' He will assuredly recompense them for their describing; surely He is All-wise, All-knowing. 139 Losers are they who slay their children in folly, without knowledge, and have forbidden what God has provided them, forging against God; they have gone astray, and are not right-guided. 140