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Popular and/or Featured Works
Muhammad Asad   
Say unto those bedouin who stayed behind: “In time you will be called upon [to fight] against people of great prowess in war: you will have to fight against them [until you die] or they surrender. And then, if you heed [that call], God will bestow on you a goodly reward; but if you turn away as you turned away this time, He will chastise you with grievous chastisement.”
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
Say to nomadic Arabs, who stayed behind, “You will be called ˹to fight˺ against a people of great might, who you will fight unless they submit. If you then obey, Allah will grant you a fine reward. But if you turn away as you did before, He will inflict upon you a painful punishment.”
Safi Kaskas   
Say to those Dessert-Arabs who stayed behind, "Eventually, you will be called to face people of great military might; you will either have to fight them, or they will submit to God's will. If you obey, God will give you a good reward; but if you turn away as you turned away before, He will punish you with a painful punishment."

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
قُل لِّلۡمُخَلَّفِینَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَعۡرَابِ سَتُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَىٰ قَوۡمٍ أُو۟لِی بَأۡسࣲ شَدِیدࣲ تُقَـٰتِلُونَهُمۡ أَوۡ یُسۡلِمُونَۖ فَإِن تُطِیعُوا۟ یُؤۡتِكُمُ ٱللَّهُ أَجۡرًا حَسَنࣰاۖ وَإِن تَتَوَلَّوۡا۟ كَمَا تَوَلَّیۡتُم مِّن قَبۡلُ یُعَذِّبۡكُمۡ عَذَابًا أَلِیمࣰا ۝١٦
Transliteration (2021)   
qul lil'mukhallafīna mina l-aʿrābi satud'ʿawna ilā qawmin ulī basin shadīdin tuqātilūnahum aw yus'limūna fa-in tuṭīʿū yu'tikumu l-lahu ajran ḥasanan wa-in tatawallaw kamā tawallaytum min qablu yuʿadhib'kum ʿadhāban alīma
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
Say to those who remained behind of the Bedouins, "You will be called to a people, possessors of military might great; you will fight them, or they will submit. Then if you obey, will give you Allah a reward good; but if you turn away as you turned away from before, He will punish you (with) a punishment painful."

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
Say unto those bedouin who stayed behind: “In time you will be called upon [to fight] against people of great prowess in war: you will have to fight against them [until you die] or they surrender. And then, if you heed [that call], God will bestow on you a goodly reward; but if you turn away as you turned away this time, He will chastise you with grievous chastisement.”
M. M. Pickthall   
Say unto those of the wandering Arabs who were left behind: Ye will be called against a folk of mighty prowess, to fight them until they surrender; and if ye obey, Allah will give you a fair reward; but if ye turn away as ye did turn away before, He will punish you with a painful doom
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
Say to the desert Arabs who lagged behind: "Ye shall be summoned (to fight) against a people given to vehement war: then shall ye fight, or they shall submit. Then if ye show obedience, Allah will grant you a goodly reward, but if ye turn back as ye did before, He will punish you with a grievous Penalty."
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
Say to nomadic Arabs, who stayed behind, “You will be called ˹to fight˺ against a people of great might, who you will fight unless they submit. If you then obey, Allah will grant you a fine reward. But if you turn away as you did before, He will inflict upon you a painful punishment.”
Safi Kaskas   
Say to those Dessert-Arabs who stayed behind, "Eventually, you will be called to face people of great military might; you will either have to fight them, or they will submit to God's will. If you obey, God will give you a good reward; but if you turn away as you turned away before, He will punish you with a painful punishment."
Wahiduddin Khan   
Say to the desert Arabs who stayed behind, You shall be called against a mighty people; then shall you fight, unless they submit. Then if you prove obedient, God will grant you a good reward, but if You turn back as you did before, He will inflict on you a painful punishmen
Shakir   
Say to those of the dwellers of the desert who were left behind: You shall soon be invited (to fight) against a people possessing mighty prowess; you will fight against them until they submit; then if you obey, Allah will grant you a good reward; and if you turn back as you turned back before, He will punish you with a painful punishment
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
Say to the ones who are left behind among the nomads: You will be called against a folk imbued with severe might. You will fight them or they will submit to God. Then, if you obey, God will give you a fairer compensation. But if you turn away as you turned away before, He will punish you with a painful punishment.
T.B.Irving   
Tell those desert Arabs who have held back: "You will be called upon to fight against a folk who are extremely violent; you will fight them unless they surrender. If you obey, God will pay you a handsome fee, while if you turn away just as you turned away before, He will punish you with painful torment."
Abdul Hye   
Say (O Muhammad) to the Bedouins who stayed behind: “You shall be called to fight against a people with great warfare, then either you will fight them or they shall surrender. Then if you obey, Allah will give you a good reward, but if you turn away as you did turn away before, He will punish you with a painful punishment.”
The Study Quran   
Say to the Bedouin who stayed behind, “You will be called against a people possessed of great might; you will fight them or they will submit. So if you obey, God will grant you a beautiful reward; but if you turn away as you turned away before, He will punish you with a painful punishment.
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
Tell the Desert Arabs who stayed behind, “You will be called to a people of great warfare; you will fight them, unless they surrender. If you obey, God will grant you generous compensation. But if you turn away, as you did previously, He will inflict a severe punishment upon you.”
Talal Itani (2012)   
Say to the Desert-Arabs who lagged behind, 'You will be called against a people of great might; you will fight them, unless they submit. If you obey, God will give you a fine reward. But if you turn away, as you turned away before, He will punish you with a painful punishment.'
Dr. Kamal Omar   
Say to those who lagged behind out of the bedouins: “Soon you shall be called upon to a nation given to great warfare. They shall either fight you in an armed encounter, or they shall seek peace (with you). So if you pay obedience Allah will pay you a fair reward; and if you turned away as you have turned back on previous occasion, He will put you to punishment — of a painful torment.”
M. Farook Malik   
Tell the beduin Arabs who stayed behind: "You shall soon be called upon to fight against a mighty people then either you will fight or they will embrace Islam. Then if you obey, Allah will grant you a good reward, but if you turn away as you have done before, He will inflict on you a painful penalty."
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
Say to the Arabs (of the desert) who were left behind, "You will soon be called against a people endowed with strict violence to fight them, or they surrender. So, in case you obey, Allah will bring you a fair reward, and in case you turn away, as you did turn away earlier, He will torment you with a painful torment."
Muhammad Sarwar   
Tell the laggardly Bedouins, "You will be called to face strong people whom you will fight right to the end or who will submit to you. If you obey the Messenger, God will give you a good reward. But if you turn away as you did before, God will make you suffer a painful torment
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
Say to those of the Bedouins who remained behind, .You will be called against a people possessed of strong fighting power; you will have to fight them until they submit. So if you obey, Allah will give you a good reward, and if you turn away, as you had turned away earlier, He will punish you with a painful punishment
Shabbir Ahmed   
Say to these desert Arabs who had stayed behind, "Soon you will be called against a people mighty in warfare, to fight them until they surrender. And if you obey, Allah will give you a beautiful reward. But if you turn away, as you did turn away before, He will punish you with a painful suffering."
Dr. Munir Munshey   
Say to the wandering Bedouins who had (deliberately) lagged behind earlier, "Soon you would be called into combat against a people possessing considerable martial strength and skill, unless they surrender. You shall have to face them in battle. (That would be your test)! Then, if you obey, Allah would grant you an excellent reward. Conversely, if you turn your backs like you did earlier, He would chastise you with a painful punishment."
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
Say to the desert Arabs (Bedouins) who fell behind: "You shall be called (to fight) against a people given to violent (and angry) war: Then shall you fight, or they shall surrender. Then if you shall show obedience, Allah will grant you a fair reward, but if you turn back as you did before, He will punish you with a painful penalty."
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
Say to those who remained behind of the bedouins, "You will be called to [face] a people of great military might; you may fight them, or they will submit. So if you obey, Allah will give you a good reward; but if you turn away as you turned away before, He will punish you with a painful punishment."
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
Say to those Nomads who lagged behind: "You will be called on to fight a people who are very powerful in warfare, unless they surrender. Then if you obey, God will grant you a good reward, but if you turn away as you turned away before, He will punish you with a painful retribution."
Abdel Haleem   
Tell the desert Arabs who stayed behind, ‘You will be called to face a people of great might in war and to fight them, unless they surrender: if you obey, God will reward you well, but if you turn away, as you have done before, He will punish you heavily
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
Say thou Unto those who lagged behind of the desert Arabs: surely ye shall be summoned against a people endued with exceeding violence then ye will fight them or they will submit. Then if ye obey, Allah will give ye a goodly hire; but if ye turn away even as ye turned away aforetime. He will torment you with a torment afflictive
Ahmed Ali   
Say to the desert Arabs who had stayed behind: "You will be called against a formidable people. You will fight them till they surrender. If you obey, then He will give you a good reward; but if you turn back, as you had done before, He will punish you with a grievous affliction."
Aisha Bewley   
Say to the Arabs who remained behind: ´You will be called up against a people who possess great force whom you must fight unless they submit. If you obey, Allah will give you an excellent reward. But if you turn your backs as you did before, He will punish you with a painful punishment.´
Ali Ünal   
Say to those of the dwellers of the desert who stayed behind: "Soon you will be called (to fight) against a people of great military power, then either you will fight against them or they will submit to God and become Muslims. If you obey, God will grant you a handsome reward, but if you turn away as you turned away before, He will punish you with a painful punishment."
Ali Quli Qara'i   
Say to the Bedouins who were left to stay behind, ‘You will be called against a people of a great might: they will embrace Islam, or you will fight them. So if you obey, Allah will give you a good reward; but if you turn away like you turned away before, He will punish you with a painful punishment.’
Hamid S. Aziz   
Say to those of the dwellers of the desert who were left behind: "You shall soon be invited to fight against a people possessing mighty prowess; you will fight against them or they will submit; then if you obey, Allah will grant you a good reward; a
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
Say to the desert Arabs who stay behind: “You are going to be called on against people of great strength, you will fight them unless they surrender, if you obey, God will give you a good reward and if you turn back as you turned back earlier, He will punish you a painful punishment.”
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
Say to the desert Arabs who lagged behind, “You will be summoned to fight against a people who possess great military might. You will fight, or they will submit. Then if you show obedience, God will grant you an excellent reward, but if you turn back as you did before, He will punish you with a terrible penalty.
Musharraf Hussain   
Tell those Bedouins who stayed behind: “Soon you will be called upon to face people of great prowess in war; you may fight or they may surrender. If you obey, then Allah will give you a wonderful reward, but if you turn away as you turned away before, He will punish you with painful punishment.
Maududi   
Say to the bedouins who were left behind: "You will be called against those who possess great might and be asked to fight against them unless they surrender. If you obey (the command to fight), Allah will bestow upon you a goodly reward. But if you turn away, as you turned away before, He shall inflict upon you a grievous chastisement."
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
Say to those Nomads who lagged behind: "You will be called on to fight a people who are very powerful in warfare, unless they surrender. Then if you obey, God will grant you a good reward, but if you turn away as you turned away before, He will punish you with a painful retribution."
Mohammad Shafi   
Tell the bedouins who stayed behind, "You shall be summoned to fight against a militarily strong people, unless they submit. Then if you obey, Allah will grant you a good reward, but if you turn away as you did before, He will inflict on you a painful punishment."

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
Say to the desert Arabs, who lagged behind, 'soon you shall be summoned to fight against a people of severe fighting that you shall fight them or they shall become muslims'. Then, if you will obey the command, Allah will give you a good reward, but if you will turn away as you turned away before, He will punish you with a painful punishment.
Rashad Khalifa   
Say to the sedentary Arabs who stay behind, "You will be invited to face powerful people and to fight them, unless they submit. If you obey, GOD will reward you with a generous recompense. But if you turn away again, as you did in the past, He will requite you with a painful retribution."
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
Say to the Arabs who lagged behind: 'You shall be called upon to fight a mighty nation, unless they embrace Islam. If you are obedient you shall receive agood wage from Allah. But, if you turn away, as you turned your backs before, He will punish you with a painful punishment.
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
Say to those of the dwellers of the desert who lagged behind: You will soon be called against a people of mighty prowess to fight against them until they submit. Then if you obey, Allah will grant you a good reward; but, if you turn back as you turned back before, He will chastise you with a painful chastisement
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
Say to the remaining behind from the Arabs, (often mistranslated as nomads or Bedouins although this verse clearly explains that they are a nation of city dwellers): "You will be called to a nation (owners) of (a) strong (severe) might/power , you fight/kill them or they submit/surrender, so if you obey, God gives/brings you a good/beautiful, reward , and if you turn away as/like you turned away from before, He tortures you a painful torture."
Bijan Moeinian   
Tell those who did not join you that: “Pretty soon God will give you the opportunity to fight with a mighty people until they submit. [This will be your last chance.] If you join (this dangerous fight), God will give you a good reward. If you turn your back (as you did before), God will severely punish you
Faridul Haque   
Say to the ignorant who stayed behind, “You will soon be called against a nation of great military strength - to fight against them or that they become Muslims; so if you obey, Allah will give you an excellent reward; and if you turn away, the way you had turned away before, He will mete out a painful punishment to you.”
Sher Ali   
Say to the desert Arabs who contrived to be left behind, `You shall be called to fight against a people of mighty valour; you shall fight them until they surrender. Then, if you obey, ALLAH will give you a good reward, but if you turn your backs, as you turned your backs before, HE will punish you with a painful punishment.
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
Say to the Bedouins lagging behind: ‘You will be called up soon (to fight) against a hard-hitting, warring people. Then you will fight them on (for the promotion of peace and human dignity), or they will become Muslims. So if you obey the command, Allah will give you an excellent reward. But if you turn away as you did before, He will make you suffer from an agonizing torment.
Amatul Rahman Omar   
(Prophet!) say to those of the desert Arabs who (contrived to be) left behind, `You shall soon be called upon (to take up arms) against a people (- the Byzantine and the Persians) who are fighters of mighty valour. Then you shall fight until they submit. Allah will grant you a goodly reward if you obey. But if you turn your backs, as you did before, He will punish you, a woeful punishment.
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
Say (O Muhammad SAW) to the bedouins who lagged behind: "You shall be called to fight against a people given to great warfare, then you shall fight them, or they shall surrender. Then if you obey, Allah will give you a fair reward, but if you turn away as you did turn away before, He will punish you with a painful torment."

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
Say to the Bedouins who were left behind: 'You shall be called against a people possessed of great might' to fight them, or they surrender. If you obey, God will give you a goodly wage; but if you turn your backs, as you turned your backs before, He will chastise you with a painful chastisement.
George Sale   
Say unto the Arabs of the desert who were left behind, ye shall be called forth against a mighty and a warlike nation: Ye shall fight against them, or they shall profess Islam. If ye obey, God will give you a glorious reward: But if ye turn back, as ye turned back heretofore, He will chastise you with a grievous chastisement
Edward Henry Palmer   
Say to those desert Arabs who were left behind, 'Ye shall be called out against a people endowed with vehement valour, and shall fight them or they shall become Muslims. And if ye obey, God will give you a good hire; but if ye turn your backs, as ye turned your backs before, He will torment you with grievous woe!
John Medows Rodwell   
SAY to those Arabs of the desert, who took not the field, ye shall be called forth against a people of mighty valour. Ye shall do battle with them, or they shall profess Islam. If ye obey, a goodly recompense will God give you; but if ye turn back, as ye turned back aforetime, He will chastise you with a sore chastisement
N J Dawood (2014)   
Say to those of the desert Arabs who stayed behind: ‘You shall be called upon to fight a people possessed of overwhelming might, unless they willingly embrace Islām. If you prove obedient, God will reward you well. But if you turn away, as you did turn away from this, He will inflict on you a woeful punishment.‘

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
Say unto who were left behind from the desert Arabs, “Soon you will be called unto a people of mighty war you either fight them or they surrender and if you obey, Allah will give you a most excellent reward but if you turn away as you turned away before, He will punish you with a painful punishment.”
Munir Mezyed   
Say unto those who lagged behind of the Bedouin Arabs: "You will be called against a people of mighty prowess. You will fight against them until they surrender. So, if you obey, Allâh will give you a good reward. But if you turn away as you did before, He will chastise you with a painful chastisement ".
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
Say to the desert Arabs who stayed behind: you will be called against a people with terrifying strength whom you will fight unless they surrender, then if you obey, Allah will give you a good reward, and if you turn away as you turned away before, He will punish you with a painful punishment.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
Say to the desert Arabs who stayed behind, “You will be called [to fight] against a people who tend toward vicious war. Then you will fight until they surrender. If you are obedient, Allah will grant you a fine reward. If you retreat as you did before, He will punish you with a horrible punishment.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
Saysg to the nomadic Arabs who lagged behind, “You will be called against a people of intense force to combat them, unless they surrender. So if you obey, Allah will give you an excellent reward. But if you turn away as you turned away before, He will punish you with a painful punishment.”
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
Tell those desert Arabs who have held back: "You will be called upon to fight against a folk who are extremely violent; you will fight them unless they surrender. If you obey, Allah (God) will pay you a handsome fee, while if you turn away just as you turned away before, He will punish you with painful torment."
Samy Mahdy   
Say to those who remained behind among the Bedouins, "You will be called to [face] a kinfolk possessor of severe war’s might; you may fight them, or they will submit. So, if you obey, Allah will give you a finest wage; and if you turn away as you turned away before, He will torture you a painful torment."
Ahmed Hulusi   
Say to the Bedouins who remained behind, “You will be called to battle against a people of great strength and might... Either you fight them or they will submit (to Islam). If you obey, Allah will give you a good reward... But if you turn away as you turned away before, then He will subject you to a great suffering.”
Mir Aneesuddin   
Say to those of the desert Arabs who were left behind, “You will be called for (fighting against) a people who possess mighty strength, you will fight them until they surrender. So if you obey, Allah will give you a good reward but if you turn back as you turned back earlier, He will punish you with a painful punishment.
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
Say O Muhammad to those stay-at-home Arabs: "You will be called upon to make your march for a land whose people face danger with boldness, firmness and courage and they exercise powerful and vehement opposition, and you are expected to war against them unless they, of their own free will, submit and surrender their very selves to Allah". "And if you comply with Allah's command, He will requite you graciously, but if you should change your minds and turn back as you did before, He shall afflict you with a condign punishment"

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
Say to the desert Arabs who lagged behind: "Ye shall be summoned (to fight) against a people given to vehement war: then shall ye fight, or they shall submit. Then if ye show obedience, God will grant you a goodly reward, but if ye turn back a s ye did before, He will punish you with a grievous Penalty."
OLD Literal Word for Word   
Say to those who remained of the Bedouins, "You will be called to a people, possessors of military might great; you will fight them, or they will submit. Then if you obey, Allah will give you a reward good; but if you turn away as you turned away before, He will punish you (with) a punishment painful.
OLD Transliteration   
Qul lilmukhallafeena mina al-aAArabi satudAAawna ila qawmin olee ba/sin shadeedin tuqatiloonahum aw yuslimoona fa-in tuteeAAoo yu/tikumu Allahu ajran hasanan wa-in tatawallaw kama tawallaytum min qablu yuAAaththibkum AAathaban aleeman