[AND the tribe of] Ad gave the lie to [one of God's] message-bearers 123 Recall, when their brother Hud said to them: "Have you no fear? 124 I am for you an honest Messenger. 125 be, then, conscious of God, and pay heed unto me! 126 And I ask of you no hire therefor: my hire is but with the Lord of the worlds. 127 What, do you build on every prominence a sign, sporting, 128 and raise strong mansions as if you were to live forever? 129 "And when ye exert your strong hand, do ye do it like men of absolute power? 130 So fear Allah and obey me. 131 And fear Him Who hath aided you with that which ye know. 132 He has bestowed on you cattle, and sons, 133 and gardens, and springs -- 134 I fear for you the chastisement of an Awesome Day." 135 They said, "It is all the same to us whether you advise or are not of the advisors. 136 This is but a custom of the ancients. 137 We are not going to be damned." 138 So they cried him lies; then We destroyed them. Surely in that is a sign, yet most of them are not believers. 139 Surely your Lord is the Mighty One, the Merciful. 140