However, those who have become believers (the Muslims), and the Jews, the Christians and the Sabaeans who believe in God and the Day of Judgment and strive righteously will receive their reward from their Lord and will have nothing to fear nor will they be grieved. 62 [Children of Israel], We made a covenant with you and raised the mountain high above you, saying, "Hold fast to what We have given you and bear its contents in mind, so that you may guard yourselves [against evil]." 63 Then you turned away thereafter, and but for the bounty and mercy of God towards you, you had been of the losers. 64 You know and have known already those among you who had broken the sanctity of the Sabbath, and to whom We had said: "Become (like) apes despised," 65 And We made it a deterrent punishment for those who were present and those who succeeded [them] and a lesson for those who fear Allah. 66 Remember, when Moses said to his people: "God demands that you sacrifice a cow," they said: "Are you making fun of us?" And he said: "God forbid that I be of the ignorant." 67 They said, 'Pray to thy Lord for us, that He may make clear to us what she may be.' He said, 'He says she is a cow neither old, nor virgin, middling between the two; so do that you are bidden.' 68 They said, "Call on your Lord for us, to show us what colour she should be." He answered, "God says she should be a bright yellow heifer, pleasing to the eye." 69 They said, "Ask your Lord to make it clear to us the exact type of heifer she should be, for to us all heifers look alike. If God wills, we shall be rightly guided." 70 (Moses) said, "The Lord says that it must not have even tilled the soil nor irrigated the fields and it must be free of blemishes and flaws." They said, "Now you have given us the right description." After almost failing to find it, they slaughtered the cow. 71