The hypocrites seek to outwit God -- but it is He who outwits them. And when they stand up for prayer, they do so reluctantly and to be seen by others, and they hardly remember God at all. 142 They dangle between the one and the other (faith and disbelief), and belong neither to these nor to those completely. And he whom Allah lets go astray, for him you can find no way. 143 Believers! Do not take the unbelievers as your allies in preference to the believers. Do you wish to offer Allah a clear proof of guilt against yourselves? 144 Surely the hypocrites are in the lowest stage of the fire and you shall not find a helper for them. 145 Except those who shall yet repent and amend and hold fast by Allah and make their religion exclusive for Allah. These then shall be with the believers, and presently Allah shall give the believers a mighty hire. 146 Why should God punish you if you give thanks and believe in Him? God is All-rewarding and All-forgiving. 147 ۞ God does not love public accusation unless one is truly wronged. God is All-hearing and All-knowing. 148 whether you do good openly or in secret, or pardon others for evil [done unto you]: for, behold, God is indeed an absolver of sins, infinite in His power. 149 Those who disbelieve in God and His Messengers try to create differences between God and His Messengers (by rejecting their message). They say, "We believe in some but not in others." Thus, they try to find a middle way 150 They are in truth (equally) unbelievers; and we have prepared for unbelievers a humiliating punishment. 151 And those who believe in Allah and His apostles and do not make a distinction between any of them-- Allah will grant them their rewards; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. 152