Said they: “Indeed, if thou desist not, O Noah, thou wilt surely be stoned to death!"*

[And in times to come] some will say,* "[They were] three, the fourth of them being their dog," while others will say, "Five, with their dog as the sixth of them" -idly guessing at something of which they can have no knowledge -and [so on, until] some will say, "[They were] seven, the eighth of them being their dog." Say: "My Sustainer knows best how many they were. None but a few have any [real] knowledge of them. Hence, do not argue about them otherwise than by way of an obvious argument,* and do not ask any of those [story-tellers] to enlighten thee about them."

And, indeed, We have adorned the skies nearest to the earth with lights,* and have made them the object of futile guesses for the evil ones [from among men]:* and for them have We readied suffering through a blazing flame –

[But his people] said: "O Shu'ayb! We cannot grasp the purport of much of what thou sayest;* on the other hand, behold, we do see clearly how- weak thou art in our midst:"* and were it not for thy family, we would have most certainly stoned thee to death, considering that thou hast no power over us!"

for, behold, if they should come to know of you, they might stone you to death or force you back to their faith-in which case you would never attain to any good!"*

He answered: "Dost thou dislike my gods, O Abraham? Indeed, if thou desist not, I shall most certainly cause thee to be stoned to death! Now begone from me for good!"

Said [the others]: “Truly, we augur evil from you!* Indeed, if you desist not, we will surely stone you, and grievous suffering is bound to befall you at our hands!"

and, behold, it is with my Sustainer - and your Sustainer - that I seek refuge against all your endeavours to revile me.*

But when she had given birth to the child,* she said: "O my Sustainer! Behold, I have given birth to a female" - the while God had been fully aware of what she would give birth to, and [fully aware] that no male child [she might have hoped for] could ever have been like this female* - "and I have named her Mary. And, verily, I seek Thy protection for her and her offspring against Satan, the accursed."

and We have made them secure against every satanic force accursed* -

Said He: "Go forth, then, from this [angelic state]: for, behold, thou art [henceforth] accursed,

NOW whenever thou happen to read this Qur'an, seek refuge with God from Satan, the accursed.*

Said He: “Go forth, then, from this [angelic state] - for, behold, thou art henceforth accursed,

Nor is this [message] the word of any satanic force accursed.*