And who could be more wicked than he who attributes his own lying inventions to God or gives the lie to His messages? Verily, such evildoers will never attain to a happy state: 21 for one Day We shall gather them all together, and then We shall say unto those who ascribed divinity to aught beside God: "Where, now, are those beings whom you imagined to have a share in God's divinity?" 22 Then they will have no excuse but to say, "By God our Lord, we have never been polytheists." 23 Behold, how they will lie against themselves and how their forged deities will forsake them! 24 And of them is he who hearkens to you, and We have cast veils over their hearts lest they understand it and a heaviness into their ears; and even if they see every sign they will not believe in it; so much so that when they come to you they only dispute with you; those who disbelieve say: This is naught but the stories of the ancients. 25 Others they keep away from it, and themselves they keep away; but they only destroy their own souls, and they perceive it not. 26 If you could see them when they are set before the Fire! They will say: 'Would that we could return! Then we would not belie the verses of our Lord and would be believers' 27 But nay - [they will say this only because] the truth which they used to conceal [from themselves] in the past will have become obvious to them; and if they were brought back [to life,] they would return to the very thing which was forbidden to them: for behold, they are indeed liars! 28 They say, "There is nothing beyond our life in this world: we shall not be raised up again from the dead." 29 If thou couldst see when they are stationed before their Lord! He will say, 'Is not this the truth?' They will say, 'Yes indeed, by our Lord!' He will say, 'Then taste the chastisement for your unbelief. 30