ings.

Say: The heavens have been folded together, and the earth is held within
His grasp, and the corrupt doers have been held by their forelock, and
still they understand not. They drink of the tainted water, and know it
not. Say: The shout hath been raised, and the people have come forth from
their graves, and arising are gazing around them. Some have made haste to
attain the court of the God of Mercy, others have fallen down on their
faces in the fire of Hell, while still others are lost in bewilderment.
The verses of God have been revealed, and yet they have turned away from
them. His proof hath been manifested and yet they are unaware of it. And
when they behold the face of the All-Merciful, their own faces are
saddened, while they are disporting themselves. They hasten forward to
Hell Fire, and mistake it for light. Far from God be what they fondly
imagine! Say: Whether ye rejoice or whether ye burst for fury, the heavens
are cleft asunder, and God hath come down, invested with radiant
sovereignty. All created things are heard exclaiming: 'The Kingdom is
God's, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.'

"O CONCOURSE of Persian divines! In My name ye have..."

O CONCOURSE of Persian divines! In My name ye have seized the reins of
men, and occupy the seats of honour by reason of your relation to Me. When
I revealed Myself, however, ye turned aside, and committed what hath
caused the tears of such as have recognized Me to flow. Erelong will all
that ye possess perish, and your glory be turned into the most wretched
abasement, and ye shall behold the punishment for what ye have wrought, as
decreed by God, the Ordainer, the All-Wise.

"O YE divines of the City! We came to you with the..."

O YE divines of the City! We came to you with the truth, whilst ye were
heedless of it. Methinks ye are as dead, wrapt in the coverings of your
own selves. Ye sought not Our presence, when so to do would have been
better for you than all your doings.... Know ye, that had your leaders, to
whom ye owe allegiance, and on whom ye pride yourselves, and whom ye
mention by day and by night, and from whose traces ye seek guidance--had
they lived in these days, they would have circled around Me, and would not
have separated themselves from Me, whether at eventide or at morn. Ye,
however, did not turn your faces towards My face, for even less than a
moment, and waxed proud, and were careless of this Wronged One, Who hat