Sura 3, al-Imran, Medina 89

The Quranic text and Ali’s version

وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللّهُ مِيثَاقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ ...

3:187. And remember Allah took a Covenant from the People of the Book,

C494. Truth -Allah's Message- comes to any man or nation as a matter of sacred trust. It should be broadcast and published and taught and made clear to all within reach.

Privileged priesthood at once erects a barrier. But worse, -when such priesthood tampers with the truth, taking what suits it and ignoring the rest, it has sold Allah's gift for a miserable ephemeral profit; how miserable, it will learn when retributive justice comes.

... لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلاَ تَكْتُمُونَهُ...

o make it known and clear to mankind, and not to hide it;

...فَنَبَذُوهُ وَرَاء ظُهُورِهِمْ وَاشْتَرَوْاْ بِهِ ثَمَناً قَلِيلاً ...

but they threw it away behind their backs, and purchased with it some miserable gain!

C495. Cf. 2:101.

... فَبِئْسَ مَا يَشْتَرُونَ ﴿١٨٧﴾

and vile was the bargain they made!

3: 187

Asad And Lo, God accepted a solemn pledge from those who were granted earlier revelation : " Make it known unto mankind, and do not conceal it!"

Pickthall And (remember) when Allah laid a charge on those who had received the Scripture (He said): Ye are to expound it to mankind and not to hide it. But they flung it behind their backs and bought thereby a little gain. Verily evil is that which they have gained thereby.

Transliteration Wa iz akhazalla_hu misa_qal lazina u_tul kita_ba latubayyinunnahu_ linna_si wa la_ taktumu_nah(u_), fanabazu_hu wara_'a zuhu_rihim wasytarau bihi samanan qalila_(n), fabi'sa ma_ yasytaru_n(a).

But they cast this behind their backs: and bartered it away for triffling gain: and how evil was their bargain!