۞ Recite to them in all truth the news of Adam's two sons; how they each made an offering, and how the offering of the one was accepted while that of the other was not. He said: 'I will surely kill you' (The other) said: 'Allah accepts only from the righteous. 27 If you raise your hand to kill me, I will raise not mine to kill you, for I fear God, the Lord of all the worlds; 28 I desire that thou shouldest be laden with my sin and thy sin, and so become an inhabitant of the Fire; that is the recompense of the evildoers.' 29 Then the other was induced by his passion to murder his brother, and he killed him, and became one of the damned. 30 Thereupon God sent forth a raven which scratched the earth, to show him how he might conceal the nakedness of his brother's body. [And Cain] cried out: "Oh, woe is me! Am I then too weak to do what this raven did, and to conceal the nakedness of my brother's body?" - and was thereupon smitten with remorse. 31 For this reason did We prescribe to the children of Israel that whoever slays a soul, unless it be for manslaughter or for mischief in the land, it is as though he slew all men; and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he kept alive all men; and certainly Our apostles came to them with clear arguments, but even after that many of them certainly act extravagantly in the land. 32 It is but a just recompense for those who make war on God and His apostle, and endeavour to spread corruption on earth, that they are being slain in great numbers, or crucified in great numbers, or have, in result of their perverseness, their hands and feet cut off in great numbers, or are being [entirely] banished from [the face of] the earth: such is their ignominy in this world. But in the life to come [yet more] awesome suffering awaits them 33 except those who repent before you have power over them. For you must know that Allah is Forgiving, the Most Merciful. 34