Quran — Page 315

[Moses] answered: "Knowledge thereof rests with my Sustainer [alone, and is laid down] in His decree; my Sustainer does not err, and neither does He forget."

HE IT IS who has made the earth a cradle for you, and has traced out for you ways [of livelihood] thereon, and [who] sends down waters from the sky: and by this means We bring forth various kinds of plants.

Eat, [then, of this produce of the soil,] and pasture your cattle [thereon]. In all this, behold, there are messages indeed for those who are endowed with reason:

out of this [earth] have We created you, and into it shall We return you, and out of it shall We bring you forth once again.

AND, INDEED, We made Pharaoh aware of all Our messages-but he gave them the lie and refused [to heed them].

He said: "Hash thou come to drive us out of our land by thy sorcery, O Moses?

In that case, we shall most certainly produce before thee the like thereof! Appoint, then, a tryst between us and thee - which we shall not fail to keep, nor [mayest] thou -at a suitable place!"

Answered [Moses]: "Your tryst shall be the day of the Festival; and let the people assemble when the sun is risen high."

Thereupon Pharaoh withdrew [with his counsellors] and decided upon the scheme which he would pursue; and then he came [to the tryst].

Said Moses to them: "Woe unto you! Do not invent lies against God, lest He afflict you with most grievous suffering: for He who contrives [such] a lie is already undone!"

So they debated among themselves as to what to do; but they kept their counsel secret,

saying [to one another]: "These two are surely sorcerers intent on driving you from your land by their sorcery, and on doing away with your time-honoured way of life.

Hence, [O sorcerers of Egypt,] decide upon the scheme which you will pursue, and then come forward in one single body: for, indeed, he who prevails today shall prosper indeed!"