No sooner than We bestow mercy on a people after hardship has hit them than they begin to scheme against Our signs. Tell them: 'Allah is swifter in scheming. Our angels are recording all your intriguing. 21 It is He who conveys you on the land and the sea; and when you are in the ship -- and the ships run with them with a fair breeze, and they rejoice in it, there comes upon them a strong wind, and waves come on them from every side, and they think they are encompassed; they call upon God, making their religion His sincerely: 'If Thou deliverest us from these, surely we shall be among the thankful.' 22 But when He has delivered them, they begin, wrongfully to commit excesses in the land. O you men, your excesses only affect your own selves. Have the enjoyment of the present life. Then to Us you shall return; and We will inform you of all that you have done. 23 This present life is like the water We send down from the sky. The plants of the earth mix with it and from it mankind and cattle eat; then when the earth has become lush and adorned, its inhabitants think they have power over it, Our command comes upon it by night or day, and We cause it to be stubble, just as though it had not flourished the day before. In this way We distinguish Our verses for those who reflect. 24 Allah invites you to the House of Peace. He guides whom He will to a Straight Path 25 ۞ the good-doers the reward most fair and a surplus; neither dust nor abasement shall overspread their faces. Those are the inhabitants of Paradise, therein dwelling forever. 26 The recompense for the evil deeds will be equally evil (not more) and the faces of the evil-doers will suffer from disgrace. No one can protect them from the wrath of God. Their faces will become dark as if covered by the pitch-darkness of night. They will be the dwellers of hell wherein they will remain forever. 27 Remember the Day whereon We shall gather them together, then We shall say unto those who associated: keep your place, ye and your associate gods. Then We shall cause split between them: and their associate-gods will say: it was not us that ye were worshipping. 28 Allah's witness suffices between you and us that (even if you worshipped us) we were totally unaware of your worshipping us. 29 Thereupon everyone shall taste the recompense of his past deeds. All shall be sent back to Allah, their true Lord, and then all the falsehoods they had fabricated will have forsaken them. 30