اَلَّا تَعْلُوْا عَلَیَّ وَ اْتُوْنِیْ مُسْلِمِیْنَ۠۝۳۱

Do not rise against me, but come to me in submission.´

قَالَتْ یٰۤاَیُّهَا الْمَلَؤُا اَفْتُوْنِیْ فِیْۤ اَمْرِیْ ۚ مَا كُنْتُ قَاطِعَةً اَمْرًا حَتّٰی تَشْهَدُوْنِ۝۳۲

." Advise me, O nobles," she said "in this matter. I do not decide any thing until you concur."

قَالُوْا نَحْنُ اُولُوْا قُوَّةٍ وَّ اُولُوْا بَاْسٍ شَدِیْدٍ ۙ۬ وَّ الْاَمْرُ اِلَیْكِ فَانْظُرِیْ مَا ذَا تَاْمُرِیْنَ۝۳۳

They said: "We are men of valour, and brave fighters. It is for you to decide. So consider what you should command."

قَالَتْ اِنَّ الْمُلُوْكَ اِذَا دَخَلُوْا قَرْیَةً اَفْسَدُوْهَا وَ جَعَلُوْۤا اَعِزَّةَ اَهْلِهَاۤ اَذِلَّةً ۚ وَ كَذٰلِكَ یَفْعَلُوْنَ۝۳۴

She said: "Surely when kings enter a city they destroy it and despoil the honour of its nobility. So will they do (to us).

وَ اِنِّیْ مُرْسِلَةٌ اِلَیْهِمْ بِهَدِیَّةٍ فَنٰظِرَةٌۢ بِمَ یَرْجِعُ الْمُرْسَلُوْنَ۝۳۵

But I will send them a gift and see what the envoys bring back (in return)."

فَلَمَّا جَآءَ سُلَیْمٰنَ قَالَ اَتُمِدُّوْنَنِ بِمَالٍ ؗ فَمَاۤ اٰتٰىنِ َۧ اللّٰهُ خَیْرٌ مِّمَّاۤ اٰتٰىكُمْ ۚ بَلْ اَنْتُمْ بِهَدِیَّتِكُمْ تَفْرَحُوْنَ۝۳۶

So, when the envoys came to Solomon he said: "Do you wish to increase my wealth? Yet what God has given me is better than what He has given you. No. Be gratified in your present.

اِرْجِعْ اِلَیْهِمْ فَلَنَاْتِیَنَّهُمْ بِجُنُوْدٍ لَّا قِبَلَ لَهُمْ بِهَا وَ لَنُخْرِجَنَّهُمْ مِّنْهَاۤ اَذِلَّةً وَّ هُمْ صٰغِرُوْنَ۝۳۷

Go back to them. We shall soon come with our armies which they will not be able to face. We shall drive them out of (the land) with ignominy, and they will be humbled."

قَالَ یٰۤاَیُّهَا الْمَلَؤُا اَیُّكُمْ یَاْتِیْنِیْ بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ اَنْ یَّاْتُوْنِیْ مُسْلِمِیْنَ۝۳۸

He (then) said (to his courtiers): "O you nobles, is there any one who can bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?"

قَالَ عِفْرِیْتٌ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ اَنَا اٰتِیْكَ بِهٖ قَبْلَ اَنْ تَقُوْمَ مِنْ مَّقَامِكَ ۚ وَ اِنِّیْ عَلَیْهِ لَقَوِیٌّ اَمِیْنٌ۝۳۹

A crafty jinn said: "I will bring it before you rise from your seat, for I am strong and trustworthy."

قَالَ الَّذِیْ عِنْدَهٗ عِلْمٌ مِّنَ الْكِتٰبِ اَنَا اٰتِیْكَ بِهٖ قَبْلَ اَنْ یَّرْتَدَّ اِلَیْكَ طَرْفُكَ ؕ فَلَمَّا رَاٰهُ مُسْتَقِرًّا عِنْدَهٗ قَالَ هٰذَا مِنْ فَضْلِ رَبِّیْ ۖ۫ لِیَبْلُوَنِیْۤ ءَاَشْكُرُ اَمْ اَكْفُرُ ؕ وَ مَنْ شَكَرَ فَاِنَّمَا یَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهٖ ۚ وَ مَنْ كَفَرَ فَاِنَّ رَبِّیْ غَنِیٌّ كَرِیْمٌ۝۴۰

But one who had knowledge of the letter, said: "I will bring it to you in the twinkling of an eye." When Solomon saw it before him, (he said): "This is by the grace of my Lord that He may test me whether I am grateful or I am thankless. Yet if one is grateful, he is grateful for himself, and if one is thankless, then surely my Lord is unconcerned and magnanimous."