Ali Quli Qarai, The Qur’ān with a Phrase-by-Phrase English Translation (2005)
but do not overstep the bounds therein,
lest My wrath should descend on you.
And he on whom My wrath descends
certainly perishes.1
Indeed I am all-forgiver toward him who repents,
becomes faithful and acts righteously,
and then follows guidance.’
83 ‘What has hurried you from your people, O Moses?’
84 He said, ‘They are close upon my heels,
and I hurried on to You, my Lord,
that You may be pleased.’
85 He said, ‘Indeed We tried your people
in your absence,
and the Sāmirī 2 has led them astray.’
86 Thereupon Moses returned to his people,
indignant and grieved.
He said, ‘O my people!
Did not your Lord give you a true promise?
Did the period [of my absence]seem too long to you?
Or did you desire
that your Lord’s wrath should descend on you
and so you failed your tryst with me?’
87 They said, ‘We did not fail our tryst with you
of our own accord,
but we were laden with the weight
of the people’s ornaments,
and we cast them [into the fire]
1 Or ‘falls’ (that is, into hell).
2 Apparently one of the Israelites accompanying Moses (‘a).
