إِنّا مَكَّنّا لَهُ فِي الأَرضِ وَآتَيناهُ مِن كُلِّ شَيءٍ سَبَبًا

Indeed We established him upon the earth, and We gave him to everything a way.

فَأَتبَعَ سَبَبًا

So he followed a way

حَتّىٰ إِذا بَلَغَ مَغرِبَ الشَّمسِ وَجَدَها تَغرُبُ في عَينٍ حَمِئَةٍ وَوَجَدَ عِندَها قَومًا ۗ قُلنا يا ذَا القَرنَينِ إِمّا أَن تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمّا أَن تَتَّخِذَ فيهِم حُسنًا

Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it [as if] setting in a spring of dark mud, and he found near it a people. Allah said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, either you punish [them] or else adopt among them [a way of] goodness."

قالَ أَمّا مَن ظَلَمَ فَسَوفَ نُعَذِّبُهُ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّ إِلىٰ رَبِّهِ فَيُعَذِّبُهُ عَذابًا نُكرًا

He said, "As for one who wrongs, we will punish him. Then he will be returned to his Lord, and He will punish him with a terrible punishment.

وَأَمّا مَن آمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صالِحًا فَلَهُ جَزاءً الحُسنىٰ ۖ وَسَنَقولُ لَهُ مِن أَمرِنا يُسرًا

But as for one who believes and does righteousness, he will have a reward of Paradise, and we will speak to him from our command with ease."

حَتّىٰ إِذا بَلَغَ مَطلِعَ الشَّمسِ وَجَدَها تَطلُعُ عَلىٰ قَومٍ لَم نَجعَل لَهُم مِن دونِها سِترًا

Until, when he came to the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had not made against it any shield.

كَذٰلِكَ وَقَد أَحَطنا بِما لَدَيهِ خُبرًا

Thus. And We had encompassed [all] that he had in knowledge.

ثُمَّ أَتبَعَ سَبَبًا

Then he followed a way

حَتّىٰ إِذا بَلَغَ بَينَ السَّدَّينِ وَجَدَ مِن دونِهِما قَومًا لا يَكادونَ يَفقَهونَ قَولًا

Until, when he reached [a pass] between two mountains, he found beside them a people who could hardly understand [his] speech.

قالوا يا ذَا القَرنَينِ إِنَّ يَأجوجَ وَمَأجوجَ مُفسِدونَ فِي الأَرضِ فَهَل نَجعَلُ لَكَ خَرجًا عَلىٰ أَن تَجعَلَ بَينَنا وَبَينَهُم سَدًّا

They said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, indeed Gog and Magog are [great] corrupters in the land. So may we assign for you an expenditure that you might make between us and them a barrier?"