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.

Qarib: Do you then hope that they will believe in you, when some of them have already heard the Word of Allah and knowingly tampered with it, after they understood it!
Sarwar: Do you, the believers in truth, desire the unbelievers to believe you? There was a group among them who would hear the word of God and understand it. Then they would purposely misinterpret it.
Shakir: Do you then hope that they would believe in you, and a party from among them indeed used to hear the Word of Allah, then altered it after they had understood it, and they know (this)
Pickthall: Have ye any hope that they will be true to you when a party of them used to listen to the word of Allah, then used to change it, after they had understood it, knowingly?
Yusufali: Can ye (o ye men of Faith) entertain the hope that they will believe in you?- Seeing that a party of them heard the Word of Allah, and perverted it knowingly after they understood it.

Qarib: When they meet those who believe, they say: 'We are believers. ' But when alone, they say to their other (chiefs). 'Do you tell to them what Allah has revealed to you so that they will dispute with you concerning it with your Lord? Have you no sense? '
Sarwar: On meeting the believers, they would declare belief but to each other they would say, "How would you (against your own interests) tell them (believers) about what God has revealed to you (in the Bible of the truthfulness of the Prophet Muhammad)? They will present it as evidence to prove you wrong before your Lord. Do you not realize it?"
Shakir: And when they meet those who believe they say: We believe, and when they are alone one with another they say: Do you talk to them of what Allah has disclosed to you that they may contend with you by this before your Lord? Do you not then understand?
Pickthall: And when they fall in with those who believe, they say: We believe. But when they go apart one with another they say: Prate ye to them of that which Allah hath disclosed to you that they may contend with you before your Lord concerning it? Have ye then no sense?
Yusufali: Behold! when they meet the men of Faith, they say: "We believe": But when they meet each other in private, they say: "Shall you tell them what Allah hath revealed to you, that they may engage you in argument about it before your Lord?"- Do ye not understand (their aim)?

Qarib: Do they not know that Allah has knowledge of all they hide and all that they reveal!
Sarwar: Do they not know that God knows whatever they conceal or reveal?
Shakir: Do they not know that Allah knows what they keep secret and what they make known?
Pickthall: Are they then unaware that Allah knoweth that which they keep hidden and that which they proclaim?
Yusufali: Know they not that Allah knoweth what they conceal and what they reveal?

Qarib: And some of them are common (people) and do not know the Book, but only wishful thoughts, and they are only doubters.
Sarwar: Some of them are illiterate and have no knowledge of the Book except for what they know from legends and fantasy. They are only relying on conjecture.
Shakir: And there are among them illiterates who know not the Book but only lies, and they do but conjecture
Pickthall: Among them are unlettered folk who know the Scripture not except from hearsay. They but guess.
Yusufali: And there are among them illiterates, who know not the Book, but (see therein their own) desires, and they do nothing but conjecture.

Qarib: Woe to those who write the Book with their own hands and then say: 'This is from Allah, ' in order to gain a small price for it. So woe to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for their earnings.
Sarwar: Woe to those who write the Book themselves and say, "This is from God," so that they may sell it for a small price! Woe unto them for what they have done and for what they have gained!
Shakir: Woe, then, to those who write the book with their hands and then say: This is from Allah, so that they may take for it a small price; therefore woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they earn
Pickthall: Therefore woe be unto those who write the Scripture with their hands and then say, "This is from Allah," that they may purchase a small gain therewith. Woe unto them for that their hands have written, and woe unto them for that they earn thereby.
Yusufali: Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, and then say:"This is from Allah," to traffic with it for miserable price!- Woe to them for what their hands do write, and for the gain they make thereby.