Enquire of them about the town situated by the sea where, when they did not keep the Sabbath, the fish came up to the surface of the water for them; but on days other than the Sabbath the fish did not come. We tried them in this way, for they were disobedient. 163 And when a party of them said: Why do you admonish a people whom Allah would destroy or whom He would chastise with a severe chastisement? They said: To be free from blame before your Lord, and that haply they may guard (against evil). 164 Then when they forgot that wherewith they had been exhorted, We delivered those who restrained from evil, and We laid hold of those who did wrong with a distressing torment for they were wont to transgress. 165 So when they exceeded the bounds of that which they were prohibited We said unto them: be ye apes despised. 166 And (remember) when thy Lord proclaimed that He would raise against them till the Day of Resurrection those who would lay on them a cruel torment. Lo! verily thy Lord is swift in prosecution and lo! verily He is Forgiving, Merciful. 167 We dispersed them in groups over the earth, some righteous, some otherwise; and We tried them with good things and bad, that they may haply turn back. 168 And after them in their place, came those unworthy successors who inherited the Books – they accept the goods of this world (as bribes) and say, “We shall soon be forgiven”; and if similar goods come to them again, they would accept it; was not the covenant taken from them in the Book, that they must not relate anything to Allah except the truth, and they have studied it? And indeed the abode of the Hereafter is better for the pious; so do you not have sense? 169 And as for those who make (men) keep the Scripture, and establish worship - lo! We squander not the wages of reformers. 170 ۞ And recall when We shook the mountain over them as though it were a canopy, and they thought that it was going to fall over them; and We said: 'Hold firmly to that which We have given you, and remember what is in it, that you may guard against evil. 171