And ask the people of Moses concerning the town situated along the sea how its people profaned the Sabbath when fish came to them breaking the water's surface on Sabbath days, and would not come to them on other than Sabbath-days. Thus did We try them because of their disobedience. 163 And whenever some people among them asked [those who tried to restrain the Sabbath-breakers,] "Why do you preach to people whom God is about to destroy or [at least] to chastise with suffering severe?" - the pious ones would answer, "In order to be free from blame before your Sustainer, and that these [transgressors, too,] might become conscious of Him." 164 And when they forgot the advices they had been given, We rescued those who forbade evil, and seized the unjust with a dreadful punishment – the recompense of their disobedience. 165 When they persisted in doing what they had been forbidden, We said to them: "Become (like) apes despised." 166 Then your Lord declared that, until the Day of Resurrection, He would send others against them to inflict terrible suffering on them. Your Lord is swift in retribution; yet surely He is most forgiving and merciful. 167 And We cut them up on the earth into parties, (some) of them being righteous and (others) of them falling short of that, and We tried them with blessings and misfortunes that they might turn. 168 Their descendants who inherited the Book gained (by bribery only) worthless things from the worldly life saying, "We shall be forgiven (for what we have done). They would have even doubled such gains if they could have received more. Did they not make a covenant (with God) in the Book not to speak any thing other than the Truth about God and to study its contents well? The life hereafter is much better for the pious ones. Will you not then think? 169 But those who hold fast to the Book and establish prayer - indeed, We will not allow to be lost the reward of the reformers. 170 ۞ And recall when We shook the mountain over them as though it were a canopy, and they thought that it was going to fall over them; and We said: 'Hold firmly to that which We have given you, and remember what is in it, that you may guard against evil. 171