rth; therefore be not thou solicitous for the ungodly people. Relate
also unto them the history of the two sons of Adam, with truth. When
they offered their offering, and it was accepted from one of them, and
was not accepted from the other, Cain said to his brother, I will
certainly kill thee. Abel answered, God only accepteth the offering of
the pious; if thou stretchest forth thy hand against me, to slay me, I
will not stretch forth my hand against thee, to slay thee; for I fear
God the Lord of all creatures. I choose that thou shouldst bear my
iniquity and thine own iniquity; and that thou become a companion of
hell fire; for that is the reward of the unjust. But his soul suffered
him to slay his brother, and he slew him; wherefore he became of the
number of those who perish. And God sent a raven, which scratched the
earth, to show him how he should hide the shame of his brother, and he
said, Woe is me! am I unable to be like this raven, that I may hide my
brother's shame? and he became one of those who repent. Wherefore we
commanded the children of Israel, that he who slayeth a soul, without
having slain a body, or committed wickedness in the earth, shall be as
if he had slain all mankind: but he who saveth a soul alive, shall be as
if he had saved the lives of all mankind. Our apostles formerly came
unto them, with evident miracles; then were many of them, after this,
transgressors on the earth. But the recompense of those who fight
against God and his apostles, and study to act corruptly in the earth,
shall be, that they shall be slain, or crucified, or have their hands
and their feet cut off on the opposite sides, or be banished the land.
This shall be their disgrace in this world, and in the next world they
shall suffer a grievous punishment; except those who shall repent,
before ye prevail against them; for know that God is inclined to
forgive, and be merciful. O true believers, fear God, and earnestly
desire a near conjunction with him, and fight for his religion, that ye
may be happy. Moreover, they who believe not, although they had whatever
is in the earth, and as much more withal, that they might therewith
redeem themselves from punishment on the day of resurrection: it shall
not be accepted from them, but they shall suffer a painful punishment.
They shall desire to go forth from the fire, but they shall not go forth
from it, and their punishment shall be permanent. If a man or a woman
steal, cut off their