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but it is the Diverters who disowned, teaching men illusion, and what was sent down upon the two kings at Babel, Harut and Marut;

the patient, the veracious, the devoted, those who spend, and those who ask forgiveness in the last hours of the night.

and when I restrained from you the Sons of Israel, when you came to them with clear proofs, and those among them who disowned said: 'This is nothing but a manifest illusion.'"

And had We sent down upon you a writing on parchment, and they had touched it with their hands, those who disown would certainly have said: "This is nothing but a manifest illusion."

The court of Fir'awn's people said: "This is surely a knowledgeable worker of illusion, who wants to bring you out of your land."

They said: "Put him off, him and his brother, and send into the capitals gatherers, who will bring you every knowledgeable worker of illusion."

And the workers of illusion came to Fir'awn; they said: "Will we surely have a reward, if we are the victors?"

When they had thrown, they beguiled the eyes of men with illusion, and filled them with reverence,

and they brought an immense illusion.

And the workers of illusion were cast down, prostrate.

And they said: "Whatever sign you bring us, to beguile us with it, we will not give you credit."

Those who disown say: "This is surely a manifest illusion."

When the truth came to them from Us, they said: "This is surely a manifest illusion."

Is this illusion?

But workers of illusion do not succeed."

And Fir'awn said: "Bring me every knowledgeable worker of illusion."

When the workers of illusion came, Moussa said to them: "Throw what you have to throw."

When they had thrown, Moussa said: "What you have brought is illusion;

And if you say: "You will be raised after death," those who disown will surely say: "This is nothing but a manifest illusion."

And even if We opened for them a gate of the sky, through which they would stay ascending, they would say: "Our sight is only befuddled; we are rather a people abused by illusion."

We know best what they listen for, when they listen to you, and when they are in secret talk, when the wrongdoers say: "You follow none but a man abused by illusion."

so ask the Sons of Israel: when he came to them, Fir'awn said to him: "I presume you are surely abused by illusion, O Moussa."

He said: "Have you come to us to drive us out of our land with your illusion, Moussa? We shall surely bring you illusion to match it.

They said: "These two are indeed two workers of illusion who wish to drive you out of your land with their illusion and to carry off your exemplary course of conduct.

And behold, their ropes and their staffs, through their illusion, appeared to him to be moving swiftly.

What they have contrived is but a worker of illusion's scheme,

and the worker of illusion does not succeed, wherever he comes."

So the workers of illusion were cast down, prostrate.

He said: "You gave him credit before I gave you permission! He is surely the greatest among you, who taught you illusion.

We indeed believe in our Guardian, that He may forgive us our faults and the illusion to which you compelled us.

Will you then come to illusion, while you can see clearly?"

Say: "How then are you abused by illusion?"

And the wrongdoers say: "You follow none but a man abused by illusion."

He said to the court around him: "This one is surely a knowing worker of illusion, who wants to drive you out of your land by his illusion. What then do you advise?"

They said: "Put him off, him and his brother, and raise up gatherers into the capitals, who will bring you every great, knowing worker of illusion."

The workers of illusion were brought together for the appointed time of a known day.

And it was said to the people: "Will you come together, in the hope that we may follow the workers of illusion, if they are the victors?"

When the workers of illusion came, they said to Fir'awn: "Will there really be a reward for us, if we are the victors?"

The workers of illusion were then cast down, prostrate.

He said: "You gave him credit before I gave you permission! He is surely the greatest among you, who taught you illusion.

They said: "You are only among those abused by illusion; you are only a human like us; bring then a sign, if you are among the veracious."

They said: "You are only among those abused by illusion; you are only a human like us, and we certainly presume you to be among the liars. So make a fragment of the sky tumble upon us, if you are among the veracious."

When Our signs came to them, plainly visible, they said: "This is a manifest illusion."

When Moussa brought them Our clear signs, they said: "This is nothing but an invented illusion; we never heard of this among our earliest forefathers."

They said: "Two illusions supporting each other!"

And those who disown say of the truth when it comes to them, "This is nothing but a manifest illusion."

and say: "This is nothing but a manifest illusion. When we are dead, earth and bones, shall we really be raised? And our earliest forefathers too?"

and those who disown said: "This is a worker of illusion, a great liar. Has he made the deities a single deity? This is surely an astonishing thing!"

We certainly sent Moussa with Our signs and a manifest authority, to Fir'awn, Haman, and Qaroon; they said: "A worker of illusion, a great liar."

And when the truth came to them, they said: "This is an illusion, and we indeed disown it."

And they said: "O worker of illusion, call upon your Guardian for us by virtue of the pact He has made with you; we shall surely let ourselves be guided."

And when Our clear signs are recited to them, those who disown say of the truth once it reaches them: "This is a manifest illusion."

and, in the last hours of the night, they would implore forgiveness.

And in Moussa: when We sent him to Fir'awn with manifest authority, he turned his back with his support, and said: "A worker of illusion, or a deranged one."

no messenger came to those before them without their saying: "A worker of illusion, or a deranged one."

Is this, then, an illusion, or do you not see clearly?

And if they see a sign, they turn away and say: "A persistent illusion."

We sent upon them a storm of stones, except the clan of Lut, whom We saved in the last hours of the night,

But when he brought them clear proofs, they said: "This is a manifest illusion."

He thought and determined. So may he perish, how he determined! Again, may he perish, how he determined! Then he looked; then he frowned and scowled; then he turned back and grew proud, and said, "This is nothing but illusion passed down; this is nothing but the saying of a human."