And a faction of the People of the Scripture say [to each other], "Believe in that which was revealed to the believers at the beginning of the day and reject it at its end that perhaps they will abandon their religion, 72 "And do not believe those who do not belong to your faith." Say: "True guidance is the guidance of God -- that any may be given the like of what has been given you." Will they argue with you before your Lord? Say: "God's is the bounty. He gives whomsoever He please, for He is infinite and all-wise." 73 For His Mercy He specially chooseth whom He pleaseth; for Allah is the Lord of bounties unbounded. 74 ۞ And of the people of the Book is he whom if thou trustest with a talent, he will restore it unto thee, and among them is he whom if thou trustest with a dinar, he will not restore it unto thee except thou art ever standing over him; that is because they say there is in the matter of the illiterates no call on us. And they forge a lie against Allah while they know. 75 Those who keep their promise and observe piety should know that God certainly loves the pious ones. 76 Those who sell the promise of Allah and their own oaths for a little price shall have no share in the Everlasting Life. Allah will neither speak to them, nor look at them, nor purify them on the Day of Resurrection. Theirs shall be a painful punishment. 77 And lo! there is a party of them who distort the Scripture with their tongues, that ye may think that what they say is from the Scripture, when it is not from the Scripture. And they say: It is from Allah, when it is not from Allah; and they speak a lie concerning Allah knowingly. 78 It is not conceivable that a human being unto whom God had granted revelation, and sound judgment, and prophethood, should thereafter have said unto people, "Worship me beside God"; but rather [did he exhort them,] "Become men of God by spreading the knowledge of the divine writ, and by your own deep study [thereof]." 79 Nor would he enjoin you to take the angels and the prophets as your lords; how could he command you to be disbelievers after you have submitted to God. 80