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Muhammad Asad   
But if the truth were in accord with their own likes and dislikes, the heavens and the earth would surely have fallen into ruin, and all that lives in them [would long ago have perished]! Nay, [in this divine writ] We have conveyed unto them all that they ought to bear in mind: and from this their reminder they [heedlessly] turn away
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
Had the truth followed their desires, the heavens, the earth, and all those in them would have certainly been corrupted. In fact, We have brought them ˹the means to˺ their glory, but they turn away from it.
Safi Kaskas   
If the Truth conformed to their desires, truly, the heavens, and the earth, and whoever is in them would have been corrupted. Instead, We have given them their Reminder, but they turn away from it.

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
وَلَوِ اتَّبَعَ الْحَقُّ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ لَفَسَدَتِ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ بَلْ أَتَيْنَاهُم بِذِكْرِهِمْ فَهُمْ عَن ذِكْرِهِم مُّعْرِضُون
Transliteration (2021)   
walawi ittabaʿa l-ḥaqu ahwāahum lafasadati l-samāwātu wal-arḍu waman fīhinna bal ataynāhum bidhik'rihim fahum ʿan dhik'rihim muʿ'riḍūn
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
But if (had) followed the truth their desires, surely (would) have been corrupted the heavens and the earth and whoever (is) therein. Nay, We have brought them their reminder, but they, from their reminder, (are) turning away.

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
But if the truth were in accord with their own likes and dislikes, the heavens and the earth would surely have fallen into ruin, and all that lives in them [would long ago have perished]! Nay, [in this divine writ] We have conveyed unto them all that they ought to bear in mind: and from this their reminder they [heedlessly] turn away
M. M. Pickthall   
And if the Truth had followed their desires, verily the heavens and the earth and whosoever is therein had been corrupted. Nay, We have brought them their Reminder, but from their Reminder they now turn away
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
If the Truth had been in accord with their desires, truly the heavens and the earth, and all beings therein would have been in confusion and corruption! Nay, We have sent them their admonition, but they turn away from their admonition
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
Had the truth followed their desires, the heavens, the earth, and all those in them would have certainly been corrupted. In fact, We have brought them ˹the means to˺ their glory, but they turn away from it.
Safi Kaskas   
If the Truth conformed to their desires, truly, the heavens, and the earth, and whoever is in them would have been corrupted. Instead, We have given them their Reminder, but they turn away from it.
Wahiduddin Khan   
If truth had followed their whims and desires, heavens and earth and all that lives in them would have been brought to ruin. Rather We have brought them their Reminder. Yet they keep avoiding their Reminder
Shakir   
And should the truth follow their low desires, surely the heavens and the earth and all those who are therein would have perished. Nay! We have brought to them their reminder, but from their reminder they turn aside
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
And if The Truth followed their desires, the heavens and the earth would have gone to ruin and whoever is in it. Nay! We brought them their Remembrance, but they, from their Remembrance, are ones who turn aside.
T.B.Irving   
If Truth had followed their whims, Heaven and Earth would have collapsed in chaos, along with anyone who is in them. Rather We have brought them their Reminder, yet they keep avoiding their Reminder.
Abdul Hye   
And if the truth had been in accordance with their desires, surely, the heavens and the earth, and whoever is therein would have been corrupted! But We have brought them their reminder, but they turn away from their reminder.
The Study Quran   
Were the truth to follow their caprices, the heavens and the earth and those therein would have been corrupted. Nay, We gave them their reminder, but they turned away from their reminder
Dr. Kamal Omar   
And if Al-Haqq had obeyed their vain desires — surely, the heavens and the earth and whosoever is therein would have been disrupted. Nay, We have come to them with the Zikr meant for them. But they are deviators against the Zikr meant for them
Farook Malik   
- Had the Truth followed their appetites, the heavens, the earth and everything therein would have been disrupted. Nay! We have given them their reminder, but they are heedless to their reminder
Talal A. Itani (new translation)   
If the truth conformed to their desires, the heavens, the earth, and everyone in them would have gone to ruin. In fact, We have given them their message, but they keep avoiding their message
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
And if the Truth ever followed their prejudices, the heavens and the earth and whoever is therein would indeed have been corrupted. No indeed, We have come up to them with (i.e., brought) their Remembrance, had from their Remembrance they are veering away
Muhammad Sarwar   
Had the truth followed their desires, the heavens and the earth and all that is in them would have been destroyed. We sent them the Quran but they ignored it
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
Had the truth followed their desires, the heavens and the earth and all those therein would have fallen in total disorder. However, We have brought to them their advice, but it is their advice that they are averse to
Shabbir Ahmed   
And if the Truth had followed their whims (2:120), verily the heavens and the earth and all beings therein would have fallen into ruin. Nay, We have given them their Reminder, but they turn away from their Reminder that can give them eminence. (7:176), (21:10-24), (43:43)
Dr. Munir Munshey   
Had the truth been made to follow their whims, the heavens and the earth and everything thereon would be ravaged and ruined. No, We have really brought them a reminder about their own selves. But, they are turning away from the narration about themselves
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
And if the truth was according to their desires, surely, the heavens and the earth, and all the beings in there will be in confusion and ruin! No! We have sent them their reminder (and guidance), but they turn away from their warning
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
But if the Truth had followed their inclinations, the heavens and the earth and whoever is in them would have been ruined. Rather, We have brought them their message, but they, from their message, are turning away
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
And if the truth were to follow their desires, then the heavens and the Earth and all who are in them would have been corrupted. No, We have come to them with their reminder, but from their reminder they are turning away
Abdel Haleem   
but if the truth were in accordance with their desires, the heavens, the earth, and everyone in them would disintegrate. We have brought them their Reminder and they turn away from it
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
And were the truth to follow their desires there would have been corrupted the heavens and the earth and whatsoever is therein. Aye! We have come to them with their admonition; so it is from their admonition that they turn away
Ahmed Ali   
Had truth been subject to their whims the heavens and the earth and all those within them would have been depraved. In fact We had sent them their reminder, but they turned away from good advice
Aisha Bewley   
If the truth were to follow their whims and desires, the heavens and the earth and everyone in them would have been brought to ruin. No indeed! We have given them their Reminder, but they have turned away from it.
Ali Ünal   
Were the truth to follow their desires and caprices, the heavens and the earth and all those who live in them would certainly have gone to ruin. But We have brought to them whatever they must heed in life for their honor and happiness, and they turn away from that which will bring them honor and happiness
Ali Quli Qara'i   
Had the Truth followed their desires, the heavens and the earth would have surely fallen apart [along] with those who are in them. Rather We have brought them their reminder, but they are disregardful of their reminder
Hamid S. Aziz   
But if the truth were to conform to their desires, verily, the heavens and the earth and whoever is therein would be corrupted. Nay, We brought them their Reminder (The Quran), but from their Reminder they now turn away
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
And if the truth had followed their desires, then the skies and the earth and everyone in them would have certainly corrupted/perished. No, but We brought them their mention/reminder, but they turn away from their mention/reminder
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
If the truth had been in accord with their desires, truly the heavens and the earth, and all beings therein would have been in chaos. No, We have sent them advice, but they turn away from the advice
Musharraf Hussain   
If Allah, the truth was to follow their whims, then the Heavens and the Earth and whatever exists in them would have fallen into ruin. We brought them a reminder, but they turned away from their reminder.
Maududi   
Were the Truth to follow their desires, the order of the heavens and the earth and those who dwell in them would have been ruined. Nay, the fact is that We have brought to them their own remembrance; and yet it is from their own remembrance that they are turning away
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
Andif the truth were to follow their desires, then the heavens and the earth and all who are in them would have been corrupted. No, We have come to them with their reminder, but from their reminder they are turning away
Mohammad Shafi   
And should the Truth follow their passions, there would certainly be chaos in the heavens and the earth and in everything therein. But We have brought them their Reminder, and from their Reminder they turn aside

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
And if the truth had followed their desires, then, necessarily, the heavens and earth and whosoever is in them would have been ruined. Nay, but We have brought them that thing in which there was fame for them but they have fumed their faces from their own prestige.
Rashad Khalifa   
Indeed, if the truth conformed to their wishes, there would be chaos in the heavens and the earth; everything in them would be corrupted. We have given them their proof, but they are disregarding their proof.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
Had the truth followed their fancies, the heavens, the earth, and all who live in them would have surely been corrupted. No, We brought them theirRemembrance; but from their Remembrance they turn away
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
And if the Truth follow their desires, the heavens and the earth and all those who are therein would perish. Nay, We have brought them their reminder, but they turn away from their reminder
Muhammad Ahmed - Samira   
And if the truth followed their self attractions for desires , the skies/space and the earth/Planet Earth and who (is) in them (B) would have (been) corrupted/destroyed , but We came/brought to them with their reminder, so they are from their reminder objecting/opposing
Bijan Moeinian   
If what they consider the truth had prevailed, chaos would have spread in the heavens and the earth and whatever lives therein My Commandments are revealed for their own good, yet they disregard it
Faridul Haque   
And had the Truth followed their desires, then indeed the heavens and the earth and all those who are in them would be destroyed; in fact We brought to them a thing in which lay their repute, so they are turned away from their own repute
Sher Ali   
And if the truth had followed their desires, verily the heavens and the earth and whosoever is therein would have been corrupted. Nay, WE have brought them their admonition, but from their own admonition they now turn aside
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
And had the (holy) truth (Allah) followed their vain desires, then (all) the heavens and the earth and whatever (living and non-living things) are therein, all would have been destroyed. We have rather brought them that (Qur’an) which contains (the secret of) their honour, dignity (and fame). So it is from their own honour that they are turning away
Amatul Rahman Omar   
And had the Eternal Truth (true God) followed their vain and low desires, the heavens and the earth and all those who are (living) in them would have surely gone to ruin. But We have brought them that which will raise them to eminence, yet they are turning aside from their own means of (raising them to) eminence
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
And if the truth had been in accordance with their desires, verily, the heavens and the earth, and whosoever is therein would have been corrupted! Nay, We have brought them their reminder, but they turn away from their reminder

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
Had the truth followed their caprices, the heavens and the earth and whosoever in them is had surely corrupted. Nay, We brought them their Remembrance, but from their Remembrance they turned
George Sale   
If the truth had followed their desires, verily the heavens and the earth, and whoever therein is, had been corrupted. But We have brought them their admonition; and they turn aside from their admonition
Edward Henry Palmer   
But if the truth were to follow their lusts, the heavens and the earth would be corrupted with all who in them are! - Nay, we brought them their reminder, but they from their reminder turn aside
John Medows Rodwell   
But if the truth had followed in the train of their desires, the heavens and the earth, and all that therein is, had surely come to ruin! But we have brought them their warning; and from their warning they withdraw
N J Dawood (2014)   
Had the Truth followed their appetites, the heavens, the earth, and all who dwell in them, would have surely been corrupted. We have given them their Admonition: yet to their Admonition they pay no heed

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
If the truth had been in accordance with their desires, truly the skies and the earth and all beings of them would have been corrupted. Nonsense! We have sent them their reminder, but they turn from their reminder.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
If Truth had followed their whims, Heaven and Earth would have collapsed in chaos, along with anyone who is in them. Rather We have brought them their Reminder (the Quran), yet they keep avoiding their Reminder.
Sayyid Qutb   
Had the truth been in accord with their desires, the heavens and the earth, together with all that lives in them, would surely have been in utter corruption. Nay, We have given them all that brings them glory. Yet from this their glory they turn away.
Ahmed Hulusi   
If the Truth had been in accord with their desires, the heavens, the earth and everything in between them would have perished... No, We gave them their dhikr (knowledge to remind them of their essential reality)... But they turned away from their own dhikr (the knowledge pertaining to their own essence).
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
And if the Truth had followed their low desires, certainly the heavens and the earth, and whoever therein would have perished! Rather, We have sent them their Reminder (the Qur'an), but they turn away from their Reminder
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur'an al-Karim   
Indeed, if the truth were to accord with their desires, the heavens and the earth and all created beings, the animate and the inanimate therein would have gone to the bad and broken into corruption and fallen into disorder. But We have sent them the spirit of truth guiding into all truth and refers them directly to Allah. Yet they evade the troth. They are averse to admitting the truth and they shy off all that puts them in mind of the duties owed to Allah
Mir Aneesuddin   
Or do they say he is possessed by jinn? No! he has come to them with the truth but most of them are haters of truth.

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
If the Truth had been in accord with their desires, truly the heavens and the earth, and all beings therein would have been in confusion and corruption! Nay, We have sent them their admonition, but they turn away from their admonition
OLD Literal Word for Word   
But if (had) followed the truth their desires, surely (would) have been corru the heavens and the earth and whoever (is) therein. Nay, We have brought them their reminder, but they, from their reminder, (are) turning away