قَالُواْ

يَٰمُوسَىٰٓ

إِمَّآ

أَن

تُلۡقِيَ

وَإِمَّآ

أَن

نَّكُونَ

أَوَّلَ

مَنۡ

أَلۡقَىٰ

٦٥

They said, “O Moses! Either you cast, or let us be the first to cast.”

Moses responded, “No, you go first.” And suddenly their ropes and staffs appeared to him—by their magic—to be slithering.

So Moses concealed fear within himself.

We reassured ˹him˺, “Do not fear! It is certainly you who will prevail.

Cast what is in your right hand, and it will swallow up what they have made, for what they have made is no more than a magic trick. And magicians can never succeed wherever they go.”

So the magicians fell down in prostration, declaring, “We believe in the Lord of Aaron and Moses.”

Pharaoh threatened, “How dare you believe in him before I give you permission? He must be your master who taught you magic. I will certainly cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides, and crucify you on the trunks of palm trees. You will really see whose punishment is more severe and more lasting.”

They responded, “By the One Who created us! We will never prefer you over the clear proofs that have come to us. So do whatever you want! Your authority only covers the ˹fleeting˺ life of this world.

Indeed, we have believed in our Lord so He may forgive our sins and that magic you have forced us to practice. And Allah is far superior ˹in reward˺ and more lasting ˹in punishment˺.”

Whoever comes to their Lord as an evildoer will certainly have Hell, where they can neither live nor die.

But whoever comes to Him as a believer, having done good, they will have the highest ranks:

the Gardens of Eternity, under which rivers flow, where they will stay forever. That is the reward of those who purify themselves.