Verily, I am God: there is no God but me: therefore worship me, and observe prayer for a remembrance of me. Verily the hour is coming:-I all but manifest it- That every soul may be recompensed for its labours. Nor let him who believeth not therein and followeth his lust, turn thee aside from this truth, and thou perish. Now, what is that in thy right hand, O Moses?" Said he, "It is my staff on which I lean, and with which I beast down leaves for my sheep, and I have other uses for it." He said, "Cast it down, O Moses!" So he cast it down, and lo! it became a serpent that ran along. He said, "Lay hold on it, and fear not: to its former state will we restore it." "Now place thy right hand to thy arm-pit: it shall come forth white, but unhurt:-another sign!- That We may shew thee the greatest of our signs. Go to Pharaoh, for he hath burst all bounds." He said, "O my Lord! enlarge my breast for me, And make my work easy for me, And loose the knot of my tongue,5 That they may understand my speech. And give me a counsellor6 from among my family, Aaron my brother; By him gird up my loins,7 And make him a colleague in my work, That we may praise thee oft and oft remember thee, For thou regardest us." He said, "O Moses, thou hast obtained thy suit: Already, at another time, have we showed thee favour, When we spake unto thy mother what was spoken: 'Cast him into the ark:8 then cast him on the sea [the river], and the sea shall throw him on the shore: and an enemy to me and an enemy to him shall take him up.' And I myself have made thee an object of love, That thou mightest be reared in mine eye. When thy sister went and said, 'Shall I shew you one who will nurse him?'9 Then We returned thee to thy mother that her eye might be cheered, and that she might not grieve. And when thou slewest a person, We delivered thee from trouble, and We tried thee with other trial. For years didst thou stay among the people of Midian; then camest thou hither by my decree, O Moses: And I have chosen thee for Myself. Go thou and thy brother with my signs and be not slack to remember me. Go ye to Pharaoh, for he hath burst all bounds: But speak ye to him with gentle speech; haply he will reflect or fear." They said, "O our Lord! truly we fear lest he break forth against us, or act with exceeding injustice." He said, "Fear ye not, for I am with you both. I will hearken and I will behold. Go ye then to him and say, 'Verily we are Sent ones of thy Lord; send therefore the children of Israel with us and vex them not: now are we come to thee with signs from thy Lord, and, Peace shall be on him who followeth the right guidance. For now hath it been revealed to us, that chastisement shall be on him who chargeth with falsehood, and turneth him away."' And he said, "Who is your Lord, O Moses?" He said, "Our Lord is He who hath given to everything its form and then guideth it aright." "But what," said he, "was the state of generations past?"10