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Muhammad Asad   
[for] it is they who have taken error in exchange for guidance; and neither has their bargain brought them gain, nor have they found guidance [elsewhere]
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
They are the ones who trade guidance for misguidance. But this trade is profitless, and they are not ˹rightly˺ guided.
Safi Kaskas   
They have sold guidance for error, what an unprofitable trade; they have not been guided.

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ ٱلَّذِینَ ٱشۡتَرَوُا۟ ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةَ بِٱلۡهُدَىٰ فَمَا رَبِحَت تِّجَـٰرَتُهُمۡ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ مُهۡتَدِینَ ۝١٦
Transliteration (2021)   
ulāika alladhīna ish'tarawū l-ḍalālata bil-hudā famā rabiḥat tijāratuhum wamā kānū muh'tadīn
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
Those (are) the ones who bought [the] astraying for [the] guidance. So not profited their commerce and not were they guided-ones.

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
[for] it is they who have taken error in exchange for guidance; and neither has their bargain brought them gain, nor have they found guidance [elsewhere]
M. M. Pickthall   
These are they who purchase error at the price of guidance, so their commerce doth not prosper, neither are they guided
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
These are they who have bartered Guidance for error: But their traffic is profitless, and they have lost true direction
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
They are the ones who trade guidance for misguidance. But this trade is profitless, and they are not ˹rightly˺ guided.
Safi Kaskas   
They have sold guidance for error, what an unprofitable trade; they have not been guided.
Wahiduddin Khan   
Such are those who have taken misguidance in exchange for guidance; but their bargain does not profit them, nor have they found true guidance
Shakir   
These are they who buy error for the right direction, so their bargain shall bring no gain, nor are they the followers of the right direction
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
Those are those who bought fallacy for guidance, so their trade was not bettered nor had they been ones who are truly guided.
T.B.Irving   
Those are the ones who have purchased error at the price of guidance, while their bargain does n them nor have they been guided.
Abdul Hye   
These are they who have purchased error for guidance, so their business is profitless and they are not guided.
The Study Quran   
It is they who have purchased error at the price of guidance. Their commerce has not brought them profit, and they are not rightly guided
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
These are the ones who purchased misguidance in exchange for guidance, but their trade didn’t profit them, nor are they guided.
Talal Itani (2012)   
Those are they who have bartered error for guidance; but their trade does not profit them, and they are not guided
Dr. Kamal Omar   
Those are they who have purchased ignorance in place of guidance, so their business brought no profit, and they were not those who find guidance
M. Farook Malik   
These are the people who barter guidance for error: but their bargain is profitless and they are not going to be guided
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
Those are they who have traded errancy (at the price of) guidance; so, in no way has their commerce gained (anything) and in no way have they been rightly-guided
Muhammad Sarwar   
They have traded guidance for error, but their bargain has had no profit and they have missed the true guidance
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
These are the people who have bought error at the price of guidance; so their trade has brought no gain, nor have they reached the right Path
Shabbir Ahmed   
They have bought straying at the expense of guidance. Such trade has to go bankrupt because they have set their caravan in the wrong direction
Dr. Munir Munshey   
Such ones have traded away the guidance for fallacy and falsehood. Gain is not what their bargain brought them. They are not guided
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
These are they who have exchanged guidance for error: But their trade is profitless, and they have lost true (right) direction
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
Those are the ones who have purchased error [in exchange] for guidance, so their transaction has brought no profit, nor were they guided
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
These are the ones who have purchased straying for guidance; their trade did not profit them, nor were they guided
Abdel Haleem   
They have bought error in exchange for guidance, so their trade reaps no profit, and they are not rightly guided
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
These are they who purchased error for guidance, but their traffic profited not, nor have they ever become guided
Ahmed Ali   
They are indeed those who bartered away good guidance for error and gained nothing from the deal, nor found the right way
Aisha Bewley   
Those are the people who have sold guidance for misguidance. Their trade has brought no profit; they are not guided.
Ali Ünal   
Such are the ones who have bought straying in exchange for guidance, but their trade has brought no profit, and they have no way out to escape it
Ali Quli Qara'i   
They are the ones who bought error for guidance, so their trade did not profit them, nor were they guided
Hamid S. Aziz   
Those who buy error for guidance, their traffic profits not, and they are not guided
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
They are those who trade guidance for misguidance, and their trade does not profit (them), and they are not guided.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
These have bartered guidance for error, their business is profitless, and they have lost their way
Musharraf Hussain   
They have chosen error instead of guidance; their bargain is without profit, and they aren’t rightly guided.
Maududi   
These are the people who have bartered away Guidance for error, but this is a profitless bargain that they have made, and they are not at all on the right way
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
These are the ones who have purchased straying with guidance; their trade did not profit them, nor were they guided.
Mohammad Shafi   
These are the people who bartered away right guidance for straying away therefrom. But their barter deal benefited them not, and they failed to become guided

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
They are those people who purchased error for guidance but their trade earned them no profit, and they indeed knew not the way of trading.
Rashad Khalifa   
It is they who bought the straying, at the expense of guidance. Such trade never prospers, nor do they receive any guidance.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
Such are those who barter away guidance for error, their trade did not profit (them), nor are they guided
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
These are they who buy error for guidance, so their bargain brings no gain, nor are they guided
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
Those are those who bought/volunteered the misguidance with the guidance, so their commercial trade/buying and selling did not profit/gain, and they were not guided
Bijan Moeinian   
These hypocrites buy the “darkness” paying the “light for it”; what a bargain! They have indeed lost the right path and God will not give them any guidance at all
Faridul Haque   
These are the people who purchased error in exchange of guidance - so their bargain did not profit them, and they did not know how to trade
Sher Ali   
These are they who have bartered away guidance for error, but their traffic has brought them no gain, nor are they rightly guided
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
These are the people who have purchased misguidance for guidance; but their trade did not yield any gain, and they did not know the way to a (gainful and profitable) bargain
Amatul Rahman Omar   
It is they who have preferred misguidance to guidance, but their bargain has fetched no profit, nor they are rightly guided
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
These are they who have purchased error for guidance, so their commerce was profitless. And they were not guided

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
Those are they that have bought error at the price of guidance, and their commerce has not profited them, and they are not right-guided
George Sale   
These are the men who have purchased error at the price of true direction: But their traffick hath not been gainful, neither have they been rightly directed
Edward Henry Palmer   
Those who buy error for guidance, their traffic profits not, and they are not guided
John Medows Rodwell   
These are they who have purchased error at the price of guidance: but their traffic hath not been gainful, neither are they guided at all
N J Dawood (2014)   
Such are those that barter guidance for error: they profit nothing, nor are they on the right path

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
They are the ones who purchased the misguidance for the guidance but their trade did not profit and they were not well guided.
Munir Mezyed   
Those are the ones who have voluntarily and consciously abandoned spiritual enlightenment in favour of spiritual dankness. So their commerce has not profited them. And they were tempted to walk the other way.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
Those are the ones who have traded error for guidance, and their trade will not prosper, and they are not going to be guided.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
Those are the ones who have purchased utter misguidance in exchange for guidance, so in no way has their bargain made any profit, and in no way have they been rightly guided.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
They have traded guidance for error. They do not profit from their devices, and they are not guided.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
Those are the ones who have purchased the straying at the price of guidance, while their trade does not profit them nor have they been guided.
Samy Mahdy   
Those who have purchased the astray for the guidance; so, their trade did not profit, and they were not being guided.
Sayyid Qutb   
These are the ones who barter away guidance for error. Their transaction is profitless and they will receive no guidance.
Thomas Cleary   
They are the ones who have bartered guidance for error: thus their trade does not profit and they are not guided.
Ahmed Hulusi   
Those are the ones who have bought fallacy (incapacity to recognize their reality) in exchange for the truth that comprises their essence. Their transaction has brought them no profit, nor will it lead them to the truth!
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
These are they who have bought error (in exchange) for guidance, hence their transaction yields them no profit, nor are they guided (aright)
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
These are they who have been steered by false belief and exchanged the guidance of Providence to the path of righteousness for a perplexed path in a maze of error, and in consequence their embarking in bad business and their captivation in evil trade have caused them the loss of their souls, they were captive victors who lost in gain, nor could they hit the path of righteousness
Mir Aneesuddin   
Those are the persons who purchase error at the cost of guidance, so their commerce is of no gain, and they do not receive guidance.
The Wise Quran   
Those are the ones who have bought error with guidance, so their commerce has no profit, and they are not guided.
The Ascendant Qur‘an, Muhammad H. al-‘Asi   
[For] it is they who have purchased deviation in exchange for guidance; and neither did their bargain yield a profit, nor did they wind up being guided

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
These are they who have bartered Guidance for error: But their traffic is profitless, and they have lost true direction
OLD Literal Word for Word   
Those (are) the ones who bought [the] astraying for [the] guidance. So not profited their commerce and not were they guided-ones
OLD Transliteration   
Mathaluhum kamathali allathee istawqada naran falamma adaat ma hawlahu thahaba Allahu binoorihim watarakahum fee thulumatin la yubsiroona