38:1  S. By the Koran full of admonition

38:2  Verily the unbelievers are addicted to pride and contention

38:3  How many generations have We destroyed before them; and they cried for mercy, but it was not a time to escape

38:4  They wonder that a warner from among themselves hath come unto them. And the unbelievers said, this man is a sorcerer, and a liar

38:5  Doth he affirm the gods to be but one God? Surely this is a wonderful thing

38:6  And the chief men among them departed, saying to one another, go, and persevere in the worship of your gods: Verily this is the thing which is designed

38:7  We have not heard any thing like this in the last religion: This is no other than a false contrivance

38:8  Hath an admonition been sent unto him preferably to any other among us? Verily they are in a doubt concerning my admonition: But they have not yet tasted my vengeance

38:9  Are the treasuries of the mercy of thy Lord, the mighty, the munificent God, in their hands

38:10  Is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and of whatever is between them, in their possession? If it be so, let them ascend by steps unto heaven

38:11  But any army of the confederates shall even here be put to flight

38:12  The people of Noah, and the tribe of Ad, and Pharaoh the contriver of the stakes

38:13  and the tribe of Thamud, and the people of Lot, and the inhabitants of the wood near Madian, accused the prophets of imposture before them: These were the confederates against the messengers of God

38:14  All of them did no other than accuse their apostles of falsehood: Wherefore my vengeance hath been justly executed upon them

38:15  And these wait only for one sounding of the trumpet; which there shall be no deferring

38:16  And they scoffingly say, O Lord, hasten our sentence unto us, before the day of account

38:17  Do thou patiently bear that which they utter: And remind them of our servant David, indued with strength; for he was one who seriously turned himself unto God

38:18  We compelled the mountains to celebrate our praise with him, in the evening and at sun-rise

38:19  and also the birds, which gathered themselves together unto him: All of them returned frequently unto him for this purpose

38:20  And We established his kingdom, and gave him wisdom and eloquence of speech

38:21  Hath the story of the two adversaries come to thy knowledge; when they ascended over the wall into the upper apartment

38:22  when they went in unto David, and he was afraid of them. They said, Fear not: We are two adversaries who have a controversy to be decided. The one of us hath wronged the other: Wherefore judge between us with truth, and be not unjust; and direct us into the even way

38:23  This my brother had ninety and nine sheep; and I had only one ewe: And he said, give her me to keep; and he prevailed against me in the discourse which we had together

38:24  David answered, verily he hath wronged thee, in demanding thine ewe as an addition to his own sheep: And many of them who are concerned together in business, wrong one another, except those who believe and do that which is right; but how few are they! And David perceived that We had tried him by this parable, and he asked pardon of his Lord: And he fell down and bowed himself, and repented

38:25  Wherefore We forgave him this fault; and he shall be admitted to approach near unto us, and shall have an excellent place of abode in paradise

38:26  O David, verily We have appointed thee a sovereign prince in the earth: Judge therefore between men with truth; and follow not thy own lust, lest it cause thee to err from the way of God: For those who err from the way of God, shall suffer a severe punishment, because they have forgotten the day of account

38:27  We have not created the heavens and the earth, and whatever is between them, in vain. This is the opinion of the unbelievers: But woe unto those who believe not, because of the fire of hell

38:28  Shall We deal with those who believe and do good works, as with those who act corruptly in the earth? Shall We deal with the pious as with the wicked

38:29  A blessed book have We sent down unto thee, O Mohammed, that they may attentively meditate on the signs thereof, and that men of understanding may be warned

38:30  And We gave unto David Solomon; how excellent a servant! For he frequently turned himself unto God

38:31  When the horses standing on three feet, and touching the ground with the edge of the fourth foot, and swift in the course, were set in parade before him in the evening

38:32  he said, verily I have loved the love of earthly good above the remembrance of my Lord; and have spent the time in viewing these horses, until the sun is hidden by the vail of night

38:33  Bring the horses back unto me. And when they were brought back, he began to cut off their legs and their necks

38:34  We also tried Solomon, and placed on his throne a counterfeit body: Afterwards he turned unto God

38:35  and said, O Lord, forgive me, and give me a kingdom which may not be obtained by any after me; for thou art the giver of kingdoms

38:36  And We made the wind subject to him; it ran gently at his command, whithersoever he directed

38:37  And We also put the devils in subjection under him; and among them such as were every way skilled in building, and in diving for pearls

38:38  And others We delivered to him bound in chains

38:39  saying, this is our gift: Therefore be bounteous, or be sparing unto whom thou shalt think fit, without rendering an account

38:40  And he shall approach near unto Us, and shall have an excellent abode in paradise

38:41  And remember our servant Job; when he cried unto his Lord, saying, verily Satan hath afflicted me with calamity and pain

38:42  And it was said unto him, strike the earth with thy foot; which when he had done, a fountain sprang up, and it was said to him, this is for thee to wash in, to refresh thee, and to drink

38:43  And We restored unto him his family, and as many more with them, through our mercy; and for an admonition unto those who are indued with understanding

38:44  And We said unto him, take a handful of rods in thy hand, and strike thy wife therewith; and break not thine oath. Verily We found him a patient person: How excellent a servant was he! For he was one who frequently turned himself unto Us

38:45  Remember also our servants Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, who were men strenuous and prudent

38:46  Verily We purified them with a perfect purification, through the remembrance of the life to come

38:47  and they were, in our sight, elect and good men

38:48  And remember Ismael, and Elisha, and Dhu'lkefl: For all these were good men

38:49  This is an admonition. Verily the pious shall have an excellent place to return unto

38:50  namely, gardens of perpetual abode, the gates whereof shall stand open unto them

38:51  As they lie down therein, they shall there ask for many sorts of fruits, and for drink

38:52  and near them shall sit the virgins of paradise, refraining their looks from beholding any besides their spouses, and of equal age with them

38:53  This is what ye are promised, at the day of account

38:54  This is our provision; which shall not fail

38:55  This shall be the reward of the righteous. But for the transgressors is prepared an evil receptacle

38:56  namely, hell: They shall be cast into the same to be burned, and a wretched couch shall it be

38:57  This let them taste, to wit, scalding water, and corruption flowing from the bodies of the damned

38:58  and divers other things of the same kind

38:59  And it shall be said to the seducers, this troop which was guided by you, shall be thrown, together with you, headlong into hell: They shall not be bidden welcome; for they shall enter the fire to be burned

38:60  And the seduced shall say to their seducers, verily ye shall not be bidden welcome: Ye have brought it upon us; and a wretched abode is hell

38:61  They shall say, O Lord, doubly increase the torment of him who hath brought this punishment upon us, in the fire of hell

38:62  And the infidels shall say, why do we not see the men whom we numbered among the wicked

38:63  and whom we received with scorn? Or do our eyes miss them

38:64  Verily this is a truth; to wit, the disputing of the inhabitants of hell fire

38:65  Say, O Mohammed, unto the idolaters, verily I am no other than a warner: And there is no god, except the one only God, the Almighty

38:66  the Lord of heaven and earth, and of whatsoever is between them; the mighty, the forgiver of sins

38:67  Say, it is a weighty message

38:68  from which ye turn aside

38:69  I had no knowledge of the exalted princes, when they disputed concerning the creation of man

38:70  -- it hath been revealed unto me only as a proof that I am a public preacher: -

38:71  When thy Lord said unto the angels, verily I am about to create man of clay

38:72  When I shall have formed him, therefore, and shall have breathed my spirit into him, do ye fall down and worship him

38:73  And all the angels worshipped him, in general

38:74  except Eblis, who was puffed up with pride, and became an unbeliever

38:75  God said unto him, O Eblis, what hindreth thee from worshipping that which I have created with my hands? Art thou elated with vain pride? Or art thou really one of exalted merit

38:76  He answered, I am more excellent than he: Thou hast created me of fire, and hast created him of clay

38:77  God said unto him, get thee hence therefore, for thou shalt be driven away from mercy

38:78  And my curse shall be upon thee, until the day of judgment

38:79  He replied, O Lord, respite me, therefore, until the day of resurrection

38:80  God said, verily thou shalt be one of those who are respite

38:81  until the day of the determined time

38:82  Eblis said, by thy might do I swear, I will surely seduce them all

38:83  except thy servants who shall be peculiarly chosen from among them

38:84  God said, it is a just sentence; and I speak the truth

38:85  I will surely fill hell with thee, and with such of them as shall follow thee, altogether

38:86  Say unto the Meccans, I ask not of you any reward for this my preaching: Neither am I one of those who assume a part which belongs not to them

38:87  The Koran is no other than an admonition unto all creatures

38:88  And ye shall surely know what is delivered therein to be true, after a season