The people of the Book ask thee to bring down a Book to them from the heaven. But surely they asked Musa a thing greater than that; they said: shew us God manifestly; whencefore the thunderbolt overtook them for their wrong-doing. Then they took a calf after there had come unto them the evidences. Even so We pardoned that, and We gave Musa a manifest authority. 153 And for their covenant we raised over them (the towering height) of Mount (Sinai); and (on another occasion) we said: "Enter the gate with humility"; and (once again) we commanded them: "Transgress not in the matter of the sabbath." And we took from them a solemn covenant. 154 So, for their breaking of the covenant, and disbelieving the verses of Allah, and killing their Prophets without right and for saying, 'Our hearts are covered' no, but Allah has sealed them for their disbelief, so, except for a few, they do not believe. 155 And [We cursed them] for their disbelief and their saying against Mary a great slander, 156 And their saying: Surely we have killed the Messiah, Isa son of Marium, the apostle of Allah; and they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to them so (like Isa) and most surely those who differ therein are only in a doubt about it; they have no knowledge respecting it, but only follow a conjecture, and they killed him not for sure. 157 But Allah took him up unto Himself. Allah was ever Mighty, Wise. 158 There is not one of the People of the Book but will assuredly believe in him before his death, and on the Resurrection Day he will be a witness against them. 159 Thus, We forbade them many clean things which had earlier been made lawful for them, for the wrong-doing of those who became Jews, for their barring many from the way of Allah, 160 That they took usury, though they were forbidden; and that they devoured men's substance wrongfully;- we have prepared for those among them who reject faith a grievous punishment. 161 But of them those well-grounded in the Knowledge and the believers believe in that which hath been sent down unto thee and that which hath been sent down before thee, and the establishers of prayer and the givers of the poor-rate and the believers in Allah and the Last Day - those: unto them anon We shall give a mighty hire. 162