And some men there are who say, 'We believe in God and the Last Day'; but they are not believers. 8 They seek to deceive God and the believers, but they only deceive themselves, though they do not realize it. 9 A sickness exists in their hearts to which God adds more sickness. Besides this, they will suffer a painful punishment as a result of the lie which they speak. 10 When it is said to them: "Make not mischief on the earth," they say: "Why, we only Want to make peace!" 11 Yet they are surely mischief-mongers, even though they do not know. 12 When asked to believe as others do, they say: "Should we believe like fools?" And yet they are the fools, even though they do not know. 13 When they meet those who believe, they say, "We, too, are believers", but when they privily meet their evil geniuses, they say, "Indeed we are with you: we are only mocking at these people". 14 But God will turn the joke against them and allow them to sink deeper into evil and wander perplexed in their wickedness. 15 Those are they that have bought error at the price of guidance, and their commerce has not profited them, and they are not right-guided. 16 They are like a man who kindles a fire, and when its glow has illumined the air God takes away their light leaving them in the dark where they will not be able to see. 17 They are deaf; they are dumb; they are blind so they will not return (to the right way). 18 Or (still another parable may be cited to depict their condition): heavy rain is falling from the sky, accompanied by pitch darkness, thunder and lightning. When they hear the thunderclap, they thrust their fingers into their ears for fear of death, but Allah is encircling the disbelievers on all sides. 19 The lightning almost takes away their vision. When the lightning brightens their surroundings, they walk and when it is dark, they stand still. Had God wanted, He could have taken away their hearing and their vision. God has power over all things. 20