الشُّعَرَاء

"So I fled from you (all) when I feared you; but my Lord has (since) invested me with judgment (and wisdom) and appointed me as one of the messengers.

"And this is the favour with which thou dost reproach me,- that thou hast enslaved the Children of Israel!"

Pharaoh said: "And what is the ´Lord and Cherisher of the worlds´?"

(Moses) said: "The Lord and Cherisher of the heavens and the earth, and all between,- if ye want to be quite sure."

(Pharaoh) said to those around: "Did ye not listen (to what he says)?"

(Moses) said: "Your Lord and the Lord of your fathers from the beginning!"

(Pharaoh) said: "Truly your messenger who has been sent to you is a veritable madman!"

(Moses) said: "Lord of the East and the West, and all between! if ye only had sense!"

(Pharaoh) said: "If thou dost put forward any god other than me, I will certainly put thee in prison!"

(Moses) said: "Even if I showed you something clear (and) convincing?"

(Pharaoh) said: "Show it then, if thou tellest the truth!"

So (Moses) threw his rod, and behold, it was a serpent, plain (for all to see)!

And he drew out his hand, and behold, it was white to all beholders!

(Pharaoh) said to the Chiefs around him: "This is indeed a sorcerer well-versed:

"His plan is to get you out of your land by his sorcery; then what is it ye counsel?"

They said: "Keep him and his brother in suspense (for a while), and dispatch to the Cities heralds to collect-

"And bring up to thee all (our) sorcerers well-versed."

So the sorcerers were got together for the appointment of a day well-known,

And the people were told: "Are ye (now) assembled?-

"That we may follow the sorcerers (in religion) if they win?"