۞ And certainly We gave to Dawood excellence from Us: O mountains! sing praises with him, and the birds; and We made the iron pliant to him, 10 so that he could make coats of mail and properly measure their rings. We told him and his people to act righteously. We are Well-Aware of what you do. 11 And to Solomon (We made) the Wind (obedient): Its early morning (stride) was a month's (journey), and its evening (stride) was a month's (journey); and We made a Font of molten brass to flow for him; and there were Jinns that worked in front of him, by the leave of his Lord, and if any of them turned aside from our command, We made him taste of the Penalty of the Blazing Fire. 12 They made for him whatever he would desire: stately buildings, images, basins like water-troughs and huge, built-in-cauldrons: “Work, O house of David, in thankfulness (to your Lord). Few of My servants are truly thankful.” 13 And when We decreed death for him, nothing showed his death to them save a creeping creature of the earth which gnawed away his staff. And when he fell the jinn saw clearly how, if they had known the Unseen, they would not have continued in despised toil. 14 There was indeed a sign for Sheba in their dwelling-place: Two gardens on the right hand and the left (as who should say): Eat of the provision of your Lord and render thanks to Him. A fair land and an indulgent Lord! 15 But they turned away. Wherefore We sent upon them the inundation of the dam and We exchanged their two gardens for two gardens bearing bitter fruit, and tamarisk and some few lote-trees. 16 This was how We recompensed them for their ungratefulness and thus do We recompense the ungrateful ones. 17 And We had placed between them and the cities which We had blest cities easy to be seen, and We had made the stages of journey between them easy; travel in them nights and days secure. 18 Then they said: Our Lord make the distance between our journeys longer. And they wronged themselves. Wherefore We made them bywords and dispersed them with a total dispersion. Verily herein are signs for every persevering, grateful person. 19 Thus Iblis found his supposition about them to be true; and except for a section of believers they follow him. 20 And he has no authority over them, but that We may distinguish him who believes in the hereafter from him who is in doubt concerning it; and your Lord is the Preserver of all things 21