Popular Translations
Muhammad Asad
[and] after having bound one another by an oath in God’s name, they said: “Indeed, we shall suddenly fall upon him and his household by night [and slay them all]; and then we shall boldly say to his next of kin, ‘We did not witness the destruction of his household - and, behold, we are indeed men of truth!’”
Arthur John Arberry
they said, 'Swear you, one to another, by God, "We will attack him and his family by night, then we will tell his protector, We were not witnesses of the destruction of his family; and assuredly we are truthful men."
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
They said: "Swear a mutual oath by Allah that we shall make a secret night attack on him and his people, and that we shall then say to his heir (when he seeks vengeance): 'We were not present at the slaughter of his people, and we are positively telling the truth.'"
Arabic
قَالُوا۟ تَقَاسَمُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ لَنُبَیِّتَنَّهُۥ وَأَهۡلَهُۥ ثُمَّ لَنَقُولَنَّ لِوَلِیِّهِۦ مَا شَهِدۡنَا مَهۡلِكَ أَهۡلِهِۦ وَإِنَّا لَصَـٰدِقُونَ ٤٩
Transliteration (2021)
qālū taqāsamū bil-lahi lanubayyitannahu wa-ahlahu thumma lanaqūlanna liwaliyyihi mā shahid'nā mahlika ahlihi wa-innā laṣādiqūn