فَلَمّا كَشَفنا عَنهُمُ العَذابَ إِذا هُم يَنكُثونَ

But when We removed from them the affliction, at once they broke their word.

وَنادىٰ فِرعَونُ في قَومِهِ قالَ يا قَومِ أَلَيسَ لي مُلكُ مِصرَ وَهـٰذِهِ الأَنهارُ تَجري مِن تَحتي ۖ أَفَلا تُبصِرونَ

And Pharaoh called out among his people; he said, "O my people, does not the kingdom of Egypt belong to me, and these rivers flowing beneath me; then do you not see?

أَم أَنا خَيرٌ مِن هـٰذَا الَّذي هُوَ مَهينٌ وَلا يَكادُ يُبينُ

Or am I [not] better than this one who is insignificant and hardly makes himself clear?

فَلَولا أُلقِيَ عَلَيهِ أَسوِرَةٌ مِن ذَهَبٍ أَو جاءَ مَعَهُ المَلائِكَةُ مُقتَرِنينَ

Then why have there not been placed upon him bracelets of gold or come with him the angels in conjunction?"

فَاستَخَفَّ قَومَهُ فَأَطاعوهُ ۚ إِنَّهُم كانوا قَومًا فاسِقينَ

So he bluffed his people, and they obeyed him. Indeed, they were [themselves] a people defiantly disobedient [of Allah].

فَجَعَلناهُم سَلَفًا وَمَثَلًا لِلآخِرينَ

And We made them a precedent and an example for the later peoples.

وَلَمّا ضُرِبَ ابنُ مَريَمَ مَثَلًا إِذا قَومُكَ مِنهُ يَصِدّونَ

And when the son of Mary was presented as an example, immediately your people laughed aloud.

وَقالوا أَآلِهَتُنا خَيرٌ أَم هُوَ ۚ ما ضَرَبوهُ لَكَ إِلّا جَدَلًا ۚ بَل هُم قَومٌ خَصِمونَ

And they said, "Are your gods better, or is he?" They did not present the comparison except for [mere] argument. But, [in fact], they are a people prone to dispute.

إِن هُوَ إِلّا عَبدٌ أَنعَمنا عَلَيهِ وَجَعَلناهُ مَثَلًا لِبَني إِسرائيلَ

Jesus was not but a servant upon whom We bestowed favor, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel.

وَلَو نَشاءُ لَجَعَلنا مِنكُم مَلائِكَةً فِي الأَرضِ يَخلُفونَ

And if We willed, We could have made [instead] of you angels succeeding [one another] on the earth.