'This', said he (Pharaoh) to his Council, 'is a cunning sorcerer 34 who desires to expel you from your land by his sorcery; what do you command?' 35 They said: "Put him off and his brother (for a while), and send callers to the cities 36 to bring thee every cunning sorcerer. 37 So the magicians were brought together on a particular day at a set time 38 And it was said to the people: Will you gather together? 39 Belike we may follow the magicians if they are the winners? 40 And when the wizards came they said unto Pharaoh: Will there surely be a reward for us if we are the winners? 41 "Yes," he replied. "You 'will be among the honoured." 42 Moses said to them: "Throw ye - that which ye are about to throw!" 43 So they cast their ropes and their staffs, and said, 'By the might of Pharaoh we shall be the victors.' 44 Then Moses cast down his staff and suddenly it swallowed up what they had falsely invented. 45 Then the magicians fell prostrating in adoration, 46 And said: "We (affirm and) believe in the Lord of all the worlds, 47 The Lord of Moses and Aaron." 48 Pharaoh said: "You accepted the word of Moses even before I granted you the leave to do so. Surely he is your chief who has taught you magic. Soon shall you come to know. I shall cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides and shall crucify all of you." 49 They said, "No harm. Indeed, to our Lord we will return. 50 Verily we long that our Lord shall forgive us our faults because we have been the first of the believers 51