يُخادِعونَ اللَّهَ وَالَّذينَ آمَنوا وَما يَخدَعونَ إِلّا أَنفُسَهُم وَما يَشعُرونَ
They [think to] deceive Allah and those who believe, but they deceive not except themselves and perceive [it] not.
في قُلوبِهِم مَرَضٌ فَزادَهُمُ اللَّهُ مَرَضًا ۖ وَلَهُم عَذابٌ أَليمٌ بِما كانوا يَكذِبونَ
In their hearts is disease, so Allah has increased their disease; and for them is a painful punishment because they [habitually] used to lie.
وَإِذا قيلَ لَهُم لا تُفسِدوا فِي الأَرضِ قالوا إِنَّما نَحنُ مُصلِحونَ
And when it is said to them, "Do not cause corruption on the earth," they say, "We are but reformers."
أَلا إِنَّهُم هُمُ المُفسِدونَ وَلـٰكِن لا يَشعُرونَ
Unquestionably, it is they who are the corrupters, but they perceive [it] not.
وَإِذا قيلَ لَهُم آمِنوا كَما آمَنَ النّاسُ قالوا أَنُؤمِنُ كَما آمَنَ السُّفَهاءُ ۗ أَلا إِنَّهُم هُمُ السُّفَهاءُ وَلـٰكِن لا يَعلَمونَ
And when it is said to them, "Believe as the people have believed," they say, "Should we believe as the foolish have believed?" Unquestionably, it is they who are the foolish, but they know [it] not.
وَإِذا لَقُوا الَّذينَ آمَنوا قالوا آمَنّا وَإِذا خَلَوا إِلىٰ شَياطينِهِم قالوا إِنّا مَعَكُم إِنَّما نَحنُ مُستَهزِئونَ
And when they meet those who believe, they say, "We believe"; but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say, "Indeed, we are with you; we were only mockers."
اللَّهُ يَستَهزِئُ بِهِم وَيَمُدُّهُم في طُغيانِهِم يَعمَهونَ
[But] Allah mocks them and prolongs them in their transgression [while] they wander blindly.
أُولـٰئِكَ الَّذينَ اشتَرَوُا الضَّلالَةَ بِالهُدىٰ فَما رَبِحَت تِجارَتُهُم وَما كانوا مُهتَدينَ
Those are the ones who have purchased error [in exchange] for guidance, so their transaction has brought no profit, nor were they guided.
مَثَلُهُم كَمَثَلِ الَّذِي استَوقَدَ نارًا فَلَمّا أَضاءَت ما حَولَهُ ذَهَبَ اللَّهُ بِنورِهِم وَتَرَكَهُم في ظُلُماتٍ لا يُبصِرونَ
Their example is that of one who kindled a fire, but when it illuminated what was around him, Allah took away their light and left them in darkness [so] they could not see.
صُمٌّ بُكمٌ عُميٌ فَهُم لا يَرجِعونَ
Deaf, dumb and blind - so they will not return [to the right path].
أَو كَصَيِّبٍ مِنَ السَّماءِ فيهِ ظُلُماتٌ وَرَعدٌ وَبَرقٌ يَجعَلونَ أَصابِعَهُم في آذانِهِم مِنَ الصَّواعِقِ حَذَرَ المَوتِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ مُحيطٌ بِالكافِرينَ
Or [it is] like a rainstorm from the sky within which is darkness, thunder and lightning. They put their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps in dread of death. But Allah is encompassing of the disbelievers.