As to the youth his parents were believers, and we feared lest he should trouble them by error and infidelity.

And we desired that their Lord might give them in his place a child, better than he in virtue, and nearer to filial piety.

And as to the wall, it belonged to two orphan youths in the city, and beneath it was their treasure:  and their father was a righteous man:  and thy Lord desired that they should reach the age of strength, and take forth their treasure through the mercy of thy Lord.  And not of mine own will have I done this.  This is the interpretation of that which thou couldst not bear with patience.”

They will ask thee of Dhoulkarnain [the two-horned17].  Say:  I will recite to you an account of him.

We stablished his power upon the earth, and made for him a way to everything.  And a route he followed,

Until when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it to set in a miry fount; and hard by he found a people.

We said, “O Dhoulkarnain! either chastise or treat them generously.”

“The impious,” said he, “will we surely chastise;” then shall he be taken back to his Lord, and he will chastise him with a grievous chastisement.

But as to him who believeth and doeth that which is right, he shall have a generous recompense, and we will lay on them our easy behests.

Then followed he a route,

Until when he reached the rising of the sun he found it to rise on a people to whom we had given no shelter from it.

Thus it was.  And we had full knowledge of the forces that were with him.

Then followed he a route

Until he came between the two mountains, beneath which he found a people who scarce understood a language.

They said, “O Dhoulkarnain! verily, Gog and Magog18 waste this land; shall we then pay thee tribute, so thou build a rampart19 between us and them?”

He said, “Better than your tribute is the might wherewith my Lord hath strengthened me; but help me strenuously, and I will set a barrier between you and them.

Bring me blocks of iron,"-until when it filled the space between the mountain sides-"Ply,” said he, “your bellows,"-until when he had made it red with heat (fire), he said,-"Bring me molten brass that I may pour upon it.”

And Gog and Magog were not able to scale it, neither were they able to dig through it.

“This,” said he, “is a mercy from my Lord: 

But when the promise of my Lord shall come to pass, he will turn it to dust; and the promise of my Lord is true.”

On that day we will let them dash like billows one over another; and there shall be a blast on the trumpet, and we will gather them together in a body.

And we will set Hell on that day close before the infidels,

Whose eyes were veiled from my warning, and who had no power to hear.

What! do the infidels think that they can take my servants as their patrons, beside Me?  Verily, we have got Hell ready as the abode of the infidels.