وَإِذْ And when wa-idh said qālat a community ummatun among them min'hum Why lima (do) you preach taʿiẓūna a people qawman (whom) Allah l-lahu (is going to) destroy them muh'likuhum or aw punish them muʿadhibuhum (with) a punishment ʿadhāban severe shadīdan They said qālū To be absolved maʿdhiratan before ilā your Lord rabbikum and that they may walaʿallahum become righteous yattaqūna
And when a community among them said, "Why do you advise [or warn] a people whom Allāh is [about] to destroy or to punish with a severe punishment?" they [the advisors] said, "To be absolved before your Lord and perhaps they may fear Him."
فَلَمَّا So when falammā they forgot nasū what mā they had been reminded dhukkirū with [it] bihi We saved anjaynā those who alladhīna forbade yanhawna [from] ʿani the evil l-sūi and We seized wa-akhadhnā those who alladhīna wronged ẓalamū with a punishment biʿadhābin wretched baīsin because bimā they were kānū defiantly disobeying yafsuqūna
And when they [i.e., those advised] forgot that by which they had been reminded, We saved those who had forbidden evil and seized those who wronged, with a wretched punishment, because they were defiantly disobeying.
فَلَمَّا So when falammā they exceeded all bounds ʿataw about ʿan what mā they were forbidden nuhū from it ʿanhu We said qul'nā to them lahum Be kūnū apes qiradatan despised khāsiīna
So when they were insolent about that which they had been forbidden, We said to them, "Be apes, despised."
وَإِذْ And when wa-idh declared ta-adhana your Lord rabbuka that He would surely send layabʿathanna upon them ʿalayhim till ilā (the) Day yawmi (of) the Resurrection l-qiyāmati (those) who man would afflict them yasūmuhum (with) a grievous sūa [the] punishment l-ʿadhābi Indeed inna your Lord rabbaka (is) surely swift lasarīʿu (in) the retribution l-ʿiqābi but indeed, He wa-innahu (is) surely Oft-Forgiving laghafūrun Most Merciful raḥīmun
And [mention] when your Lord declared that He would surely [continue to] send upon them until the Day of Resurrection those who would afflict them with the worst torment. Indeed, your Lord is swift in penalty; but indeed, He is Forgiving and Merciful.
وَقَطَّعْنَـٰهُمْ And We divided them waqaṭṭaʿnāhum in fī the earth l-arḍi (as) nations umaman Among them min'humu (are) the righteous l-ṣāliḥūna and among them wamin'hum (are) other than dūna that dhālika And We tested them wabalawnāhum with the good bil-ḥasanāti and the bad wal-sayiāti so that they may laʿallahum return yarjiʿūna
And We divided them throughout the earth into nations. Of them some were righteous, and of them some were otherwise. And We tested them with good [times] and bad that perhaps they would return [to obedience].
فَخَلَفَ Then succeeded fakhalafa from min after them baʿdihim successors khalfun (who) inherited warithū the Book l-kitāba taking yakhudhūna goods ʿaraḍa (of) this hādhā the lower (life) l-adnā and they say wayaqūlūna It will be forgiven sayugh'faru for us lanā And if wa-in comes to them yatihim goods ʿaraḍun similar to it mith'luhu they will take it yakhudhūhu Was not alam taken yu'khadh on them ʿalayhim Covenant mīthāqu (of) the Book l-kitābi that an not lā they will say yaqūlū about ʿalā Allah l-lahi except illā the truth l-ḥaqa while they studied wadarasū what mā (is) in it fīhi And the home wal-dāru (of) the Hereafter l-ākhiratu (is) better khayrun for those who lilladhīna fear Allah yattaqūna So will not afalā you use intellect taʿqilūna
And there followed them successors who inherited the Scripture [while] taking the commodities1 of this lower life and saying, "It will be forgiven for us." And if an offer like it2 comes to them, they will [again] take it. Was not the covenant of the Scripture [i.e., the Torah] taken from them that they would not say about Allāh except the truth, and they studied what was in it? And the home of the Hereafter is better for those who fear Allāh, so will you not use reason?
وَٱلَّذِينَ And those who wa-alladhīna hold fast yumassikūna to the Book bil-kitābi and establish wa-aqāmū the prayer l-ṣalata indeed, We innā (will) not lā [We] let go waste nuḍīʿu (the) reward ajra (of) the reformers l-muṣ'liḥīna
But those who hold fast to the Book [i.e., the Qur’ān] and establish prayer - indeed, We will not allow to be lost the reward of the reformers.