[And thus will God continue:] "O you who have lived in close communion with [evil] invisible beings and [like-minded] humans! Have there not come unto you apostles from among yourselves, who conveyed unto you My messages and warned you of the coming of this your Day [of Judgment]?" They will answer: "We do bear witness against ourselves!" - for the life of this world had beguiled them: and so they will bear witness against themselves that they had been denying the truth. 130 That is because your Lord would not destroy the cities for wrongdoing while their people were unaware. 131 To all are degrees (or ranks) according to their deeds: for thy Lord is not unmindful of anything that they do. 132 And your Lord is the Free of need, the possessor of mercy. If He wills, he can do away with you and give succession after you to whomever He wills, just as He produced you from the descendants of another people. 133 Surely, that which you are promised will verily come to pass, and you cannot escape (from the Punishment of Allah). 134 Say: "O my people! Do whatever ye can: I will do (my part): soon will ye know who it is whose end will be (best) in the Hereafter: certain it is that the wrong-doers will not prosper." 135 They set aside for Allah a share of what He has created of tilth and cattle saying: 'This is for Allah' so they claim 'and this for our associates (gods)' The share of their associates never reaches Allah, but the share of Allah reaches their associates. How evil they judge! 136 And, likewise, the beings supposed to have a share in Allah's divinity have made the slaying of their offspring seem lawful to many of those who associate others with Allah in His divinity so that they may ruin them and confound them regarding their faith. If Allah had so willed, they would not have done that. Leave them alone to persist in their fabrication. 137 And they say: These are cattle and tilth prohibited, none shall eat them except such as We please-- so they assert-- and cattle whose backs are forbidden, and cattle on which they would not mention Allah's name-- forging a lie against Him; He shall requite them for what they forged. 138 And they say: "All that is in the wombs of such-and-such cattle is reserved for our males and forbidden to our women; but if it be stillborn, then both may have their share thereof." [God] will requite them for all that they [falsely] attribute [to Him]: behold, He is wise, all-knowing. 139 Lost, indeed, are they who, in their weak-minded ignorance, slay their children and declare as forbidden that which God has provided for them as sustenance, falsely ascribing [such prohibitions] to God: they have gone astray and have not found the right path. 140