۞ 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 thou stretchest forth thine hand against me to slay me, I shall not be stretching forth my hand against thee to slay thee, verily I fear Allah, the Lord of the worlds. 28 I would rather you bear my sin and your sin and become among the inhabitants of Hell. Such is the recompense of the harmdoers' 29 The (selfish) soul of the other led him to the murder of his brother: he murdered him, and became (himself) one of the lost ones. 30 Then Allah sent a crow digging up the earth so that he might show him how he should cover the dead body of his brother. He said: Woe me! do I lack the strength that I should be like this crow and cover the dead body of my brother? So he became of those who regret. 31 That was why We wrote for the Children of Israel that who ever killed a soul, except for a soul slain, or for sedition in the earth, it should be considered as though he had killed all mankind; and that who ever saved it should be regarded as though he had saved all mankind. Our Messengers brought them proofs; then many of them thereafter commit excesses in the earth. 32 The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His Noble Messenger and cause turmoil in the land is that they be all be killed or crucified, or their hands and feet cut off from alternate sides, or they be banished far away from the land; this is their degradation in the world, and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment. 33 Except for those who return [repenting] before you apprehend them. And know that Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. 34