۞ And indeed We gave Dawud the utmost excellence from Us; “O the hills and birds, repent towards Allah along with him”; and We made iron soft for him. 10 [Commanding him], "Make full coats of mail and calculate [precisely] the links, and work [all of you] righteousness. Indeed I, of what you do, am Seeing." 11 And We gave the wind in Sulaiman’s control – its morning journey equal to a month’s course and the evening journey equal to a month’s course; and We sprung a stream of molten copper for him; and from the jinns, who worked before him by the command of his Lord; and those among them who turned away from Our command – We shall make them taste the punishment of the blazing fire. 12 They made for him whatever he desired: palaces and statues, basins like reservoirs, and large cooking vessels fixed in their places. We said, "Give thanks, house of David, for few of My servants are truly grateful." 13 When We decreed that Solomon should die, no one knew of his death except for a creeping creature of the earth who ate-up his staff. When he fell down, the jinn realized that if they had known about the unseen, they would not have remained in such a humiliating torment for so long. 14 For Sheba there was also a Sign in their dwelling place: the two gardens to the right and to the left. “Eat of your Lord's provision, and render thanks to Him. Most pleasant is your land and Most Forgiving is your Lord.” 15 But they turned aside, so We sent upon them a torrent of which the rush could not be withstood, and in place of their two gardens We gave to them two gardens yielding bitter fruit and (growing) tamarisk and a few lote-trees. 16 That is how We requited them for their ingratitude. We only punish those who are ungrateful. 17 We placed other prominent towns between them, the towns that We had blessed and had set well-measured stages between them. Move back and forth between them, night and day, in perfect security. 18 But they said: "O Lord, make the distance between the stages of our journeys longer;" but (by doing so) they wronged themselves. So We turned them into bygone tales, and dispersed them, scattered in all directions. Surely there are signs in this for those who endeavour and are grateful. 19 Iblis proved true his opinion of them, and they followed him, except a party of the believers. 20 Yet he had no authority over them, but that We might know him who believed in the Hereafter from him who was in doubt thereof Thy Lord is Guardian over everything. 21