Popular Translations
Muhammad Asad
As it is, they [who are averse to the truth often] swear by God with their most solemn oaths that if a warner should ever come to them, they would follow his guidance better than any of the communities [of old had followed the warner sent to them]: but now that a warner has come unto them, [his call] but increases their aversion
Arthur John Arberry
They have sworn by God the most earnest oaths that if a warner came to them, they would be more rightly guided than any one of the nations; but when a warner came to them, it increased them only in aversion
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
They swore their strongest oaths by Allah that if a warner came to them, they would follow his guidance better than any (other) of the Peoples: But when a warner came to them, it has only increased their flight (from righteousness),
Arabic
وَأَقۡسَمُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ جَهۡدَ أَیۡمَـٰنِهِمۡ لَىِٕن جَاۤءَهُمۡ نَذِیرࣱ لَّیَكُونُنَّ أَهۡدَىٰ مِنۡ إِحۡدَى ٱلۡأُمَمِۖ فَلَمَّا جَاۤءَهُمۡ نَذِیرࣱ مَّا زَادَهُمۡ إِلَّا نُفُورًا ٤٢
Transliteration (2021)
wa-aqsamū bil-lahi jahda aymānihim la-in jāahum nadhīrun layakūnunna ahdā min iḥ'dā l-umami falammā jāahum nadhīrun mā zādahum illā nufūra