Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 9.djvu/35

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ⅩⅧ, 40-48.
the chapter of the cave.
19

morrow he turned down the palms of his hands[1] for what he had spent thereon, for it was fallen down upon its trellises. And he said, ‘ Would that I had never associated any one with my Lord !’ And he had not any party to help him beside God, nor was he helped. In such a case the patronage is God’s, the true ; He is best at rewarding and best at bringing to an issue.

Strike out for them, too, a parable of the life of this world; like water which we send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth is mingled therewith ; — and on the morrow it is dried up, and the winds scatter it ; for God is powerful over all.

Wealth and children are an adornment of the life of this world ; but enduring good works are better with thy Lord, as a recompense, and better as a hope.

45 And the day when we will move the mountains, and thou shalt see the (whole) earth stalking forth ; and we will gather them, and will not leave one of them behind Then shall they be presented to thy Lord in ranks. — Now have ye come to us as we created you at first ! nay, but ye thought that we would never make our promise good !

And the Book shall be placed[2], and thou shalt see the sinners in fear of what is in it ; and they will say, ‘ Alas, for us ! what ails this Book, it leaves neither small nor great things alone, without numbering them ?’ and they shall find present what they have done; and thy Lord will not wrong any one.

And when we said to the angels, ‘ Adore Adam,’


  1. I.e. wrung his hands.
  2. In the hand of each.

C 2