Qarib: You have surely known of those amongst you who transgressed the Sabbath. We said to them: 'Be apes, despised! '
Sarwar: You certainly knew about those among you who were transgressors on the Sabbath. We commanded them, "Become detested apes,"
Shakir: And certainly you have known those among you who exceeded the limits of the Sabbath, so We said to them: Be (as) apes, despised and hated
Pickthall: And ye know of those of you who broke the Sabbath, how We said unto them: Be ye apes, despised and hated!
Yusufali: And well ye knew those amongst you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath: We said to them: "Be ye apes, despised and rejected."

Qarib: We made it a punishment for the former times and for the latter, an exhortation to the cautious.
Sarwar: in order to set up an example for their contemporaries and coming generations and to make it a reminder for the pious.
Shakir: So We made them an example to those who witnessed it and those who came after it, and an admonition to those who guard (against evil)
Pickthall: And We made it an example to their own and to succeeding generations, and an admonition to the Allah-fearing.
Yusufali: So We made it an example to their own time and to their posterity, and a lesson to those who fear Allah.

Qarib: When Moses said to his nation: 'Allah commands you to slaughter a cow, ' they replied: 'Are you taking us in mockery? ' 'I seek protection with Allah lest I should be one of the ignorant' he said.
Sarwar: When Moses said to his people, "God commands you to sacrifice a cow," they asked, "Are you mocking us?" "God forbid, how would I be so ignorant," said Moses.
Shakir: And when Musa said to his people: Surely Allah commands you that you should sacrifice a cow; they said: Do you ridicule us? He said: I seek the protection of Allah from being one of the ignorant
Pickthall: And when Moses said unto his people: Lo! Allah commandeth you that ye sacrifice a cow, they said: Dost thou make game of us? He answered: Allah forbid that I should be among the foolish!
Yusufali: And remember Moses said to his people: "Allah commands that ye sacrifice a heifer." They said: "Makest thou a laughing-stock of us?" He said: "Allah save me from being an ignorant (fool)!"

Qarib: 'Call on your Lord, ' they said, 'to make known to us what she shall be. ' He said: "He says she is a cow neither old, nor virgin, middling between both." Therefore, do as you have been ordered. '
Sarwar: They demanded, "Ask your Lord to describe the kind of cow He wants us to slaughter." Moses explained, "It must be neither too old nor too young, thus do whatever you are commanded to do." Moses then told them to do as they were ordered.
Shakir: They said: Call on your Lord for our sake to make it plain to us what she is. Musa said: He says, Surely she is a cow neither advanced in age nor too young, of middle age between that (and this); do therefore what you are commanded
Pickthall: They said: Pray for us unto thy Lord that He make clear to us what (cow) she is. (Moses) answered: Lo! He saith, Verily she is a cow neither with calf nor immature; (she is) between the two conditions; so do that which ye are commanded.
Yusufali: They said: "Beseech on our behalf Thy Lord to make plain to us what (heifer) it is!" He said; "He says: The heifer should be neither too old nor too young, but of middling age. Now do what ye are commanded!"

Qarib: 'Call on your Lord, ' they said, 'to make known to us what her color shall be. ' 'Your Lord says: "The cow is yellow, a rich yellow pleasing to the onlookers." '
Sarwar: They further demanded Moses to ask the Lord what color the cow has to be. Moses answered, "The Lord says that the cow must be yellow, a beautiful yellow".
Shakir: They said: Call on your Lord for our sake to make it plain to us what her color is. Musa said: He says, Surely she is a yellow cow; her color is intensely yellow, giving delight to the beholders
Pickthall: They said: Pray for us unto thy Lord that He make clear to us of what colour she is. (Moses) answered: Lo! He saith: Verily she is a yellow cow. Bright is her colour, gladdening beholders.
Yusufali: They said: "Beseech on our behalf Thy Lord to make plain to us Her colour." He said: "He says: A fawn-coloured heifer, pure and rich in tone, the admiration of beholders!"

Qarib: 'Call on your Lord, ' they said, 'to make known to us which cow she shall be; to us cows look alike. If Allah wills, we shall be guided. '
Sarwar: They said, "We are confused about the cow, for to us all cows look alike. Ask your Lord to tell us exactly what the cow looks like, so that God willing, we shall have the right description."
Shakir: They said: Call on your Lord for our sake to make it plain to us what she is, for surely to us the cows are all alike, and if Allah please we shall surely be guided aright
Pickthall: They said: Pray for us unto thy Lord that He make clear to us what (cow) she is. Lo! cows are much alike to us; and Lo! if Allah wills, we may be led aright.
Yusufali: They said: "Beseech on our behalf Thy Lord to make plain to us what she is: To us are all heifers alike: We wish indeed for guidance, if Allah wills."

Qarib: He replied: 'He says: "She is a cow, neither worn out plowing the earth nor watering the field, one kept secure free from any blemish." ' 'Now you have brought us the truth, ' they answered. And they slaughtered her, after they had been reluctant to do so.
Sarwar: (Moses) said, "The Lord says that it must not have even tilled the soil nor irrigated the fields and it must be free of blemishes and flaws." They said, "Now you have given us the right description." After almost failing to find it, they slaughtered the cow.
Shakir: Musa said: He says, Surely she is a cow not made submissive that she should plough the land, nor does she irrigate the tilth; sound, without a blemish in her. They said: Now you have brought the truth; so they sacrificed her, though they had not the mind to do (it)
Pickthall: (Moses) answered: Lo! He saith: Verily she is a cow unyoked; she plougheth not the soil nor watereth the tilth; whole and without mark. They said: Now thou bringest the truth. So they sacrificed her, though almost they did not.
Yusufali: He said: "He says: A heifer not trained to till the soil or water the fields; sound and without blemish." They said: "Now hast thou brought the truth." Then they offered her in sacrifice, but not with good-will.

Qarib: And when you slew a soul and then fell out with one another concerning it, Allah made known what you concealed.
Sarwar: When you murdered someone, each one of you tried to accuse others of being guilty. However, God made public what you were hiding.
Shakir: And when you killed a man, then you disagreed with respect to that, and Allah was to bring forth that which you were going to hide
Pickthall: And (remember) when ye slew a man and disagreed concerning it and Allah brought forth that which ye were hiding.
Yusufali: Remember ye slew a man and fell into a dispute among yourselves as to the crime: But Allah was to bring forth what ye did hide.

Qarib: We said: 'Strike him with a piece of it. ' Like this, Allah restores the dead to life and shows you His signs in order that you will understand.
Sarwar: We said, "Strike the person slain with some part of the cow." That is how God brings the dead to life and shows you His miracles so that you might have understanding.
Shakir: So We said: Strike the (dead body) with part of the (Sacrificed cow), thus Allah brings the dead to life, and He shows you His signs so that you may understand
Pickthall: And We said: Smite him with some of it. Thus Allah bringeth the dead to life and showeth you His portents so that ye may understand.
Yusufali: So We said: "Strike the (body) with a piece of the (heifer)." Thus Allah bringeth the dead to life and showeth you His Signs: Perchance ye may understand.

Qarib: Yet after that your hearts became as hard as rock or even harder. Indeed among the stones are those from which rivers burst. And others split so that water issues from them; and others crash down through fear of Allah. Allah is not inattentive of what you do.
Sarwar: Thereafter, your hearts turned as hard as rocks or even harder for some rocks give way to the streams to flow. Water comes out of some rocks when they are torn apart and others tumble down in awe before God. God does not ignore what you do.
Shakir: Then your hearts hardened after that, so that they were like rocks, rather worse in hardness; and surely there are some rocks from which streams burst forth, and surely there are some of them which split asunder so water issues out of them, and surely there are some of them which fall down for fear of Allah, and Allah is not at all heedless of what you do
Pickthall: Then, even after that, your hearts were hardened and became as rocks, or worse than rocks, for hardness. For indeed there are rocks from out which rivers gush, and indeed there are rocks which split asunder so that water floweth from them. And indeed there are rocks which fall down for the fear of Allah. Allah is not unaware of what ye do.
Yusufali: Thenceforth were your hearts hardened: They became like a rock and even worse in hardness. For among rocks there are some from which rivers gush forth; others there are which when split asunder send forth water; and others which sink for fear of Allah. And Allah is not unmindful of what ye do.