The Pharaoh said to the people around him, "He is certainly a skillful magician. 34 Who wants to drive you out of your land by his sorcery. Now what do you advise?" 35 They said, 'Put him and his brother off a while, and send among the cities musterers, 36 Who will bring you every learned, skilled magician." 37 So the sorcerers were assembled at a fixed time on a day appointed. 38 And it was said to the people, "Will you congregate 39 "That we may follow the sorcerers (in religion) if they win?" 40 Then, when the sorcerers came, they said to Pharaoh, 'Shall we indeed have a wage, if we should be the victors?' 41 "Yes," he replied. "You 'will be among the honoured." 42 Moses said to them, 'Cast you down what you will cast.' 43 So they threw their ropes and their staffs and said, "By the might of Pharaoh, indeed it is we who are predominant." 44 Then Moses threw his rod, when, behold, it straightway swallows up all the falsehoods which they fake! 45 The magicians therefore fell down prostrate. 46 Saying: "We believe in the Lord of the Worlds, 47 The Lord of Musa and Harun. 48 The Pharaoh said, "You believed without my permission? He seems to be your chief who has taught you magic. But you will soon know (the result of what you have done). I shall certainly cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides and crucify you all together." 49 They said: "There will be no harm. We shall return to our Lord. 50 Surely we hope that our Lord will forgive us our wrongs because we are the first of the believers. 51