Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 9.djvu/109

ⅩⅩⅥ, 50-79 They said, ‘ No harm ; verily, unto our Lord do we return ! verily, we hope that our Lord will forgive us our sins, for we are the first of believers !’

And we inspired Moses, ‘ Journey by night with my servants ; verily, ye are pursued.’

And Pharaoh sent into the cities to collect; ‘ Verily, these are a small company. And, verily, they are enraged with us; but we are a multitude, wary !

‘ Turn them out of gardens and springs, and treasuries, and a noble station !’ — thus, — and we made the children of Israel to inherit them.

And they followed them at dawn ; and when the two hosts saw each other, Moses’ companions said, ‘Verily, we are overtaken !’ Said he, ‘ Not so ; verily, with me is my Lord, He will guide me.’

And we inspired Moses, ‘ Strike with thy rod the sea ;’ and it was cleft asunder, and each part was like a mighty mountain. And then we brought the others. And we saved Moses and those with him all together ; then we drowned the others ; and that is a sign : but most of them will never be believers! And, verily, thy Lord He is mighty, merciful.

And recite to them the story of Abraham ; when he said to his father and his people, ‘ What do ye serve ?’ They said, ‘ We serve idols, and we are still devoted to them.’ He said, ‘ Can they hear you when ye call, or profit you, or harm ?’

They said, ‘ No ; but we found our fathers doing thus.’ He said, ‘ Have ye considered what ye have been serving, ye and your fathers before you ? Verily, they are foes to me, save only the Lord of the worlds, who created me and guides me, and who