Or chooseth He daughters of all that He hath created, and honoureth He you with sons? 16 Yet when one of them is given glad news of (a daughter) that which he likened to the Merciful his face darkens and he chokes inwardly (with gloom). 17 What! that which is made in ornaments and which in contention is unable to make plain speech! 18 And they make the angels, who are the slaves of the Beneficent, females. Did they witness their creation? Their testimony will be recorded and they will be questioned. 19 They say: “Had the Merciful One so willed, we would never have worshipped these deities.” But they have no knowledge of the matter and are simply conjecturing. 20 Or have We, perchance, vouchsafed them, before this one, a revelation [to the contrary,] to which they are still holding fast? 21 Nay! They say: "We found our fathers following a certain way and religion, and we guide ourselves by their footsteps." 22 In the same way, whenever We had sent a Messenger before you to warn a town, the rich ones therein said, "We found our fathers following a certain belief and we follow in their footsteps. 23 ۞ [Each warner] said, "Even if I brought you better guidance than that [religion] upon which you found your fathers?" They said, "Indeed we, in that with which you were sent, are disbelievers." 24 So We took revenge from them – therefore see what sort of fate befell those who denied! 25