J. F. Campbell Collection > Koran: or, Alcoran of Mohammed

CHAP. xxTi. AL KORAN. 303
eaid unto him, Verilj if thou take any god besides me,*" I Mrill make thee
WW of those who are imprisoned. '^ Moses answered, What, although
I come unto you with a convincing miracle ? Fharaoh replied, Produce
it, therefore, if thou speakest truth. And he cast down his rod, and be-
hold it became a visible serpent : and he drew forth his hand out of his
bosom; and behold it fl;?peare^ white unto the spectators. Fharaoh said
unto the princes who were about him, Verily, this man is a skilful magician ;
he seeketh to dispossess you of your land by his sorcery ; what therefore do
ye direct ? They answered, Delay him and his brother bi/ good words /or a
time ; and send through the cities men to assemble and bring unto thee
every skdful magician. So the magicians were assembled at an appointed
time on a solemn day. And it was said unto the people. Are ye assembled
together? Perhaps we may follow the magicians, if they do get the
victory.* And when the magicians were come, they said unto Pharaoh,
Shall we certainly receive a reward if we do get the victory 1 He answered
Yea; and ye shall surely be of those who approach my person. JMoses
said unto them, Cast down what ye are about to cast down. Whereforb
they cast down their ropes and their rods, and said. By the might of
Pharaoh, verily we shall be the conquerors. And Moses cast down his rod,
and behold it swallowed up that which they had caused falsely to appear
changed into serpents. Whereupon the magicians prostrated themselves,
worshipping, a/id said, we believe in the Lord of all creatures, the Lordoi
Moses and of Aaron. Pharaoh said unto theyn, Have ye believed on him,
before I have given you permission 1 Verily he is your chief who hath
taught you magic :^ but hereafter ye shall surely know my power. I will
cut off your hands and your feet, on the opposite sides, and I will crucify
you all. Thev answered, It will be no harm unto us ; for we shall return
unto our Loht>. We hope that our Lord will forgive us our sins, since we
are the first who have believed.'' And we spake by revelation unto Moses,
saying, March forth with my servants by night ; for ye will be pursued*
And Pharaoh sent officers through the cities to assemble forces, saying, Verily
these are a small company; and they are enraged against us : but we are a
multitude well provided. So we caused them to quit their gardens, and
fountains, and treasures, and fair dwellings : thus did we do; and we made
the children of Israel to inherit the same.' And they pursued them at sun-
rise. And when the two armies were come in sight of each other, the
* rrom this and a parallel expression in the 28th chapter, it is inferred that
Pharaoh claimed the worship of his subjects as due to his supreme power.
^ These words, says al Beidawi, were a more terrible menace than if he had said
I will imprison thee; and gave Moses to understand that he must expect to keep
company with those wretches whom the tyrant had thrown, as was his custom,
into a deep dungeon, where they remained till they died.
* "A herald having proclaimed, Is the assembly gathered together with due
solemnity? The people replied. We will espouse the victorious party." — Savary.
* But has reserved the most efficacious secrets to himself.'
" See chap. 7, p. 128, &c.
' Hence some suppose the Israelites, after the destruction of Pharaoh and his