۞ And indeed We gave Dawud the utmost excellence from Us; “O the hills and birds, repent towards Allah along with him”; and We made iron soft for him. 10 (saying): 'Make large coats of mail and measure their links well. Do good deeds, for surely I see the things you do' 11 We subjected the wind to Solomon; its morning course was a month and its evening course a month; and We caused a fount of molten copper to flow for him. And of the jinn there were some who worked under him, by the command of his Lord. If any one of them turned away from Our command, We would make him taste the punishment of the burning fire. 12 They made for him what he pleased of fortresses and images, and bowls (large) as watering-troughs and cooking-pots that will not move from their place; give thanks, O family of Dawood! and very few of My servants are grateful. 13 And when We decreed (Solomon's) death, they had no indication that he was dead until (they saw a termite), a crawler of the earth eating away his staff. And when he fell down, the jinn realized that had they known the unseen, they would not have continued in their humiliating punishment. 14 Indeed for (the tribe of) Saba was a sign in their dwelling-place – two gardens on the right and the left; “Eat the sustenance provided by your Lord and be grateful to Him”; a pure land and an Oft Forgiving Lord! 15 But they turned away. So We sent against them the Flood (at the city) of Arim, and exchanged their gardens with two others bearing bitter fruit and Tamarisks, and here and there a few Lotus trees. 16 In this wise We requited them for they were ungrateful. And We requite not thus any save the ungrateful infidels. 17 We placed other prominent towns between them, the towns that We had blessed and had set well-measured stages between them. Move back and forth between them, night and day, in perfect security. 18 But they said: 'Lord, make the stages between our journeys longer' so they wronged themselves; so We made them news and We tore them utterly into pieces. Surely, there are signs in this for every one who is patient, thankful. 19 And indeed Iblis (Satan) did prove true his thought about them, and they followed him, all except a group of true believers (in the Oneness of Allah). 20 but he had no authority over them; We only desired to distinguish those who believed in the Hereafter from those who were in doubt concerning it. Your Lord is watchful over all things. 21