And this, too, is a divine writ which We have bestowed from on high, a blessed one: follow it, then, and be conscious of God, so that you might be graced with His mercy. 155 Lest you say: "The Book that was sent before was meant only for two groups; we were not aware of their teachings;" 156 Or (you say), 'Had the Book been sent down to us, we would have been better guided than they' Indeed a clear sign has now come to you from your Lord; a guidance and a mercy. And who is more harmful than he who belies the verses of Allah and turns away from them! We shall recompense those who turn away from Our verses with an evil punishment for their turning away. 157 Are they waiting for the angels or your Lord to come to them, or for some of the signs of your Lord? On the Day when some of the signs of your Lord come, no soul will be benefited by its belief had it not believed before or earned good in its belief. Say: 'Wait, we are waiting' 158 Those who have made divisions in their religion and become sects, thou art not of them in anything; their affair is unto God, then He will tell them what they have been doing. 159 He who does a good deed will receive ten times its worth; and he who does evil will be requited to an equal degree; and no one will be wronged. 160 Tell them: "My Lord has directed me to a path that is straight, a supreme law, the creed of Abraham the upright who was not an idolater." 161 Say: "Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are (all) for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds: 162 No associate has He. Even so I have been commanded, and I am the first of those that surrender.' 163 Say: 'Should I seek a lord other than Allah, who is the Lord of all things? Every soul earns only to its account no soul shall bear another's burden. Then to your Lord you shall be returned, and He will inform you about that in which you differed' 164 He it is Who hath placed you as viceroys of the earth and hath exalted some of you in rank above others, that He may try you by (the test of) that which He hath given you. Lo! Thy Lord is swift in prosecution, and Lo! He verily is Forgiving, Merciful. 165