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Muhammad Asad   
Hence, be not like her who breaks and completely untwists the yarn which she [herself] has spun and made strong-[be not like this by] using your oaths as a means of deceiving one another, simply because some of you may be more powerful than others." By all this, God but puts you to a test-and [He does it] so that on Resurrection Day He might make clear unto you all that on which you were wont to differ
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
Do not be like the woman who ˹foolishly˺ unravels her yarn after it is firmly spun, by taking your oaths as a means of deceiving one another in favour of a stronger group. Surely Allah tests you through this. And on the Day of Judgment He will certainly make your differences clear to you.
Safi Kaskas   
And do not be like the woman who untwisted the thread she had firmly spun just to unravel it-do not use your oaths as means to deceive one another, because some of you are more powerful than others. God is testing you through all this, and on the Day of Resurrection He will make clear to you those things about which you disagreed.

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
وَلَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّتِی نَقَضَتۡ غَزۡلَهَا مِنۢ بَعۡدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنكَـٰثࣰا تَتَّخِذُونَ أَیۡمَـٰنَكُمۡ دَخَلَۢا بَیۡنَكُمۡ أَن تَكُونَ أُمَّةٌ هِیَ أَرۡبَىٰ مِنۡ أُمَّةٍۚ إِنَّمَا یَبۡلُوكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦۚ وَلَیُبَیِّنَنَّ لَكُمۡ یَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِیَـٰمَةِ مَا كُنتُمۡ فِیهِ تَخۡتَلِفُونَ ۝٩٢
Transliteration (2021)   
walā takūnū ka-allatī naqaḍat ghazlahā min baʿdi quwwatin ankāthan tattakhidhūna aymānakum dakhalan baynakum an takūna ummatun hiya arbā min ummatin innamā yablūkumu l-lahu bihi walayubayyinanna lakum yawma l-qiyāmati mā kuntum fīhi takhtalifūn
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
And (do) not be like her who untwists her spun yarn from after strength (into) untwisted strands; you take your oaths (as) a deception between you, because is a community [it] more numerous than (another) community. Only, tests you Allah by it. And He will make clear to you (on) the Day (of) the Resurrection, what you used (to) in it differ.

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
Hence, be not like her who breaks and completely untwists the yarn which she [herself] has spun and made strong-[be not like this by] using your oaths as a means of deceiving one another, simply because some of you may be more powerful than others." By all this, God but puts you to a test-and [He does it] so that on Resurrection Day He might make clear unto you all that on which you were wont to differ
M. M. Pickthall   
And be not like unto her who unravelleth the thread, after she hath made it strong, to thin filaments, making your oaths a deceit between you because of a nation being more numerous than (another) nation. Allah only trieth you thereby, and He verily will explain to you on the Day of Resurrection that wherein ye differed
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
And be not like a woman who breaks into untwisted strands the yarn which she has spun, after it has become strong. Nor take your oaths to practise deception between yourselves, lest one party should be more numerous than another: for Allah will test you by this; and on the Day of Judgment He will certainly make clear to you (the truth of) that wherein ye disagree
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
Do not be like the woman who ˹foolishly˺ unravels her yarn after it is firmly spun, by taking your oaths as a means of deceiving one another in favour of a stronger group. Surely Allah tests you through this. And on the Day of Judgment He will certainly make your differences clear to you.
Safi Kaskas   
And do not be like the woman who untwisted the thread she had firmly spun just to unravel it-do not use your oaths as means to deceive one another, because some of you are more powerful than others. God is testing you through all this, and on the Day of Resurrection He will make clear to you those things about which you disagreed.
Wahiduddin Khan   
Do not, like the woman who unravels her yarn after its strands have been firmly spun, use your oaths as a means of deceiving one another, just because one community could become bigger than another. God is only testing you by means of this. On the Day of Resurrection He will make it clear to you what you differed about
Shakir   
And be not like her who unravels her yarn, disintegrating it into pieces after she has spun it strongly. You make your oaths to be means of deceit between you because (one) nation is more numerous than (another) nation. Allah only tries you by this; and He will most certainly make clear to you on the resurrection day that about which you differed
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
And be not like she who would break what she spun after firming its fibers by taking to yourselves your oaths in mutual deceit among yourselves so that one community be one that is swelling more than another community. God tries you but by this. And He will make manifest to you on the Day of Resurrection about what you had been at variance in it.
T.B.Irving   
Do not be like a woman who unravels her yarn after its strands have been firmly spun. You use your oaths in order to snatch at advantages over one another, just because one nation may be more prosperous than another nation. God is only testing you by means of it; so He may explain to you on Resurrection Day what you have been disagreeing about.
Abdul Hye   
And don’t be like that (woman) who had spun thread strongly and then undo it by weakening it; nor take your oaths as a means of deception among yourselves so that a nation may take undue advantage over another nation. Only Allah tests you by these (oaths). He will make clear to you on the Day of Resurrection what you used to differ about it.
The Study Quran   
Be not like she who unravels her yarn, breaking it after it had been strong [by] taking your oaths to practice deception among yourselves, so that one community might be larger and wealthier than another. God only tries you thereby. And on the Day of Resurrection, He will surely clarify for you that wherein you differed
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
Don’t be like the woman who unravels her finely spun thread, making your oaths a means of deceit among yourselves. God tests you in this manner. On the Day of Resurrection, He will clarify for you everything you disputed.
Talal Itani (2012)   
And do not be like her who unravels her yarn, breaking it into pieces, after she has spun it strongly. Nor use your oaths as means of deception among you, because one community is more prosperous than another. God is testing you thereby. On the Day of Resurrection, He will make clear to you everything you had disputed about.
Dr. Kamal Omar   
And be not you people like that (Ummah or Community) which undid (or untied) her yarn, after (attaining) power (i.e., getting properly spun in the form) into loose, isolated threads. You regard your oaths a means of deception amongst you (for fear) lest an Ummah become that which is greater than (another) Ummah. Surely, what (is the fact is that) Allah puts you to a test and trial therewith. And indeed, He will make completely clear to you on the Day of Resurrection (all) that wherein you used to differ
M. Farook Malik   
Do not behave like that woman who had spun her yarn strongly and then had herself broken it into pieces; nor take your oaths for mutual deceit so that one people may take undue advantage over the other, for Allah puts you to trial by these oaths; and on the Day of Judgment He will certainly reveal to you the truth about which you differed
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
And do not be as she who breaks her yarn, even after it is strongly spun, (Literally: powerfully spun) into strands, by taking to yourselves your oaths fraudulently among yourselves, one nation being more numerous than another nation. Surely, Allah only tries you thereby; and indeed He will definitely make evident to you upon the Day of the Resurrection that wherein you used to differ
Muhammad Sarwar   
Do not be like the lady behind the spinning wheel who has broken the yarn by pulling it with unnecessary force. You must not consider your oaths as means of deceit to benefit one party and incur loss upon the other. God tests your faith by your oaths. He will make clear to you who was right and who was wrong on the Day of Judgment
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
Do not be like the woman who had broken her yarn into pieces after spinning it firmly, by taking your oaths as means of mischief between yourselves, merely because a group gets greater benefit than the other. In fact, Allah puts you to a test thereby and, of course, on the Day of Resurrection He will explain to you all those matters in which you disagreed
Shabbir Ahmed   
And be not like the knitting woman who spins yarn with tremendous hard work, and then breaks it apart. She wastes with her own hands a whole day's labor at the spinning wheel. (Breaking solemn pledges could nullify your good deeds). This is an example for you, if you abuse your promises to take advantage of others. People usually do that to advance from others wrongfully, or help their own groups (57:20). Allah has devised this as a test of your character. (Human beings are the only creatures who can make a pledge. Breaking promises violates human rights and hurts your own "Self"). On The Day of Resurrection you will appear before your Lord with the imprints of your doings on your "Self". He will then make you understand the dispute between your word and your action and between your reason and emotions
Dr. Munir Munshey   
Do not be like the woman who spun her yarn into fine thread and then shredded it to pieces. You employ your oaths as mere ploys, so that your nation gains superiority over all others. In fact, Allah tests you with it! On the Day of Judgment, He will disclose to you all that you used to dispute
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
And do not be like a woman who breaks to untwisted fibers, the thread which she has spun, after it has become strong. And do not make promises to (hide the) acts of dishonesty (and deception) between yourselves, especially when there be more (people) in one party than in the other: Allah will test you by this; And on the Day of Judgment (Resurrection), He will surely make clear to you (the truth about) what you disagree
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
And do not be like she who untwisted her spun thread after it was strong [by] taking your oaths as [means of] deceit between you because one community is more plentiful [in number or wealth] than another community. Allah only tries you thereby. And He will surely make clear to you on the Day of Resurrection that over which you used to differ
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
And do not be like she who unravelled her knitting after it had become strong, by breaking your oaths as a means of deception between you. That a nation shall be more numerous than another nation, for God puts you to the test by it. And He will show you on the Day of Resurrection that which you were disputing in
Abdel Haleem   
Do not use your oaths to deceive each other- like a woman who unravels the thread she has firmly spun- just because one party may be more numerous than another. God tests you with this, and on the Day of the Resurrection He will make clear to you those things you differed about
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
And be not like unto her who unravelleth her yarn into strands after its strength, holding your oaths a means of discord amongst you that a community may be more numerous than anot her community; Allah only proveth you there by; and He will surely manifest unto you on the Judgment Day that wherein ye have been differing
Ahmed Ali   
And do not be like her who untwists her yarn having spun it into durable thread. Do not use your oaths deceitfully because one party has ascendency over you. God surely tries you in this way: He will make it clear to you on the Day of Resurrection what you were differing about
Aisha Bewley   
Do not be like a woman who spoils the thread she has spun by unravelling it after it is strong, by making your oaths a means of deceiving one another, merely because one community is bigger than another. Allah is only testing you by this. He will make clear to you on the Day of Rising the things about which you differed.
Ali Ünal   
And do not be like her who destroys her yarn that she herself made strong, betraying (thereby her own effort) – by making your oaths a means of deception among yourselves in order that you may be a community greater in numbers (in power and other worldly things) than another community. In this God is only testing you, and on the Day of Resurrection, He will certainly make clear to you all that on which you used to differ
Ali Quli Qara'i   
Do not be like her who would undo her yarn, breaking it up after [spinning it to] strength, by making your oaths a means of [mutual] deceit among yourselves, so that one community may become more affluent than another community. Allah only tests you thereby, and He will surely clarify for you on the Day of Resurrection what you used to differ about
Hamid S. Aziz   
And be not like her who unravels her yarn, fraying it out after she hath spun it close, by taking your oaths for mutual intrigue, because one nation is more numerous than another; Allah only tries you therewith, but He will make manifest to you on the Da
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
And do not be like her who unraveled her yarn, breaking it, after making it strong (by spinning it), by taking your oaths as a means of deception among you so that one group be more numerous (and powerful) than another group. Indeed, God tests you by it, and on the Resurrection Day He shall clarify for you what you were disagreeing about.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
And be not like a woman who breaks into untwisted strands the yarn which she has spun, after it has become strong, nor take promises to practice deception between yourselves, lest one group should be more numerous than another, for God will challenge you by this, and on the Day of Accountability He will certainly make clear to you that which you disagree
Musharraf Hussain   
Sometimes you make promises to deceive others – don’t be like the woman who tears to pieces the cloth she spun – so you might make more profit than others. Surely Allah will test you by this, and on Judgement Day He will make clear what you were disagreeing about.
Maududi   
And do not become like the woman who, after having painstakingly spun her yarn, caused it to disintegrate into pieces. You resort to oaths as instruments of mutual deceit so that one people might take greater advantage than another although Allah puts you to the test through this. Surely on the Day of Resurrection He will make clear the Truth concerning the matters over which you differed
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
And do not be like she who unraveled her knitting after it had become strong, by breaking your oaths as a means of deception between you. That a nation shall be more numerous than another nation, for God puts you to the test by it. And He will show you on the Day of Resurrection that which you were disputing in
Mohammad Shafi   
And be not like the woman who disintegrates her well-spun yarn into fibres.You take your oaths as means of interference in one another's affairs so that one community gets bigger than another. Allah has not but put you on trial by this; and He will certainly make clear to you, on the Resurrection Day, that, about which you differed

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
And be not like that woman who has broken her yarn into pieces, after it has become strong. You make our oaths an unreal excuse amongst yourselves so that one community may not be more numerous than another community. Allah tries you thereby. And necessarily, He will make clear to you on the Day of Judgment as to what you used to dispute.
Rashad Khalifa   
Do not be like the knitter who unravels her strong knitting into piles of flimsy yarn. This is your example if you abuse the oaths to take advantage of one another. Whether one group is larger than the other, GOD thus puts you to the test. He will surely show you on the Day of Resurrection everything you had disputed.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
Do not be like the woman who breaks her thread, after it is firmly spun into fibers, by taking your oaths as mere mutual deceit, one nation being more numerous than the other. Allah tries you with it. On the Day of Resurrection, He will clarify to you everything on which you were at variance
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
And be not like her who unravels her yarn, disintegrating it into pieces, after she has spun it strongly. You make your oaths to be means of deceit between you because (one) nation is more numerous than (another) nation. Allah only tries you by this. And He will certainly make clear to you on the day of Resurrection that wherein you differed
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
And do no be like who unbound/broke/destroyed her yarn/spun thread (into) unraveling/fraying/untwisted strands of yarn from after (its) strength , you take your rights/oaths (as) deceit/blemishes between you, that (E) a nation be more grown/increased than a nation, but/truly God tests you with it, and to clarify/show/explain for you (on) the Resurrection Day what you were in it differing/disagreeing/disputing
Bijan Moeinian   
Do not behave like that (foolish) person who, after having worked so hard to knit something, pulls the thread and breaks it into pieces! Remember this example when you want to break your promises (even the ones which are not made by taking God as a witness for its fulfillment) no matter how powerful you (or your group) are. This is one way that God puts you to the test. Remember, on the Day of Resurrection, He will play back for you whatever you were disputing among yourselves
Faridul Haque   
And do not be like the woman broke her thread into bits after she had manufactured it; you make your oaths a phoney excuse between yourselves lest one nation may not be more than the other; Allah just tries you with it; and He will surely clarify for you on the Day of Resurrection, the matters in which you differed
Sher Ali   
And be not like unto her who cuts up her yarn into pieces after having spun it strong by making your oaths a means of deceit between you, for fear lest one people become more powerful than another people. Surely, ALLAH tries you therewith, and on the Day of Resurrection HE will make clear to you that wherein you differed
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
And do not be like the woman who, after spinning her yarn firm and strong, breaks it into pieces. You employ your oaths as a means of deceiving amongst you so that (by this) one party may earn more profit than the other. The matter is that Allah (also) puts you to trial through the same, and on the Day of Resurrection He will certainly make clear those matters in which you used to disagree
Amatul Rahman Omar   
And be not like the woman who breaks her yarn after spinning it strong with hard labour into thread. You use your oaths to deceive one another (for fear) lest one nation should become more powerful than the other nation. Surely, Allah tries you thereby and on the Day of Resurrection will make clear to you all the things about which you had been differing (from one another)
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
And be not like her who undoes the thread which she has spun after it has become strong, by taking your oaths a means of deception among yourselves, lest a nation may be more numerous than another nation. Allah only tests you by this (i.e who obeys Allah and fulfills Allahs Covenant and who disobeys Allah and breaks Allahs Covenant). And on the Day of Resurrection, He will certainly make clear to you that wherein you used to differ (i.e. a believer confesses and believes in the Oneness of Allah and in the Prophethood of Prophet Muhammad SAW which the disbeliever denies it and that was their difference amongst them in the life of this world)

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
And be not as a woman who breaks her thread, after it is firmly spun, into fibres, by taking your oaths as mere mutual deceit, one nation being more numerous than another nation. God only tries you thereby; and certainly He will make clear to you upon the Day of Resurrection that whereon you were at variance
George Sale   
And be not like unto her who undoeth that which she hath spun, untwisting it after she hath twisted it strongly; taking your oaths between you deceitfully, because one party is more numerous than another party. Verily God only tempteth you therein; and He will make that manifest unto you, on the day of resurrection, concerning which ye now disagree
Edward Henry Palmer   
And be not like her who unravels her yarn, fraying it out after she hath spun it close, by taking your oaths for mutual intrigue, because one nation is more numerous than another; God only tries you therewith, but He will make manifest to you on the resurrection day that whereon ye did dispute
John Medows Rodwell   
And, because you are a more numerous people than some other people, be not like her who unravelleth the thread which she had strongly spun, by taking your oaths with mutual perfidy. God is making trial of you in this: and in the day of resurrection he will assuredly clear up to you that concerning which ye are now at variance
N J Dawood (2014)   
Do not, like the woman who unravels the thread she has firmly spun, take oaths with mutual deceit and break them on finding yourselves superior in numbers. In this, God puts you to the proof. On the Day of Resurrection He will resolve your differences for you

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
And be not like the woman who after having woven her skein to strength undoes it into loosely jumbled threads [likewise] you take your oaths as a deception between you so that one nation will be greater in gain than another. Surely Allah is only trying you by this and truly on the day of resurrection He will make clear to you all that in which you used to disagree.
Munir Mezyed   
Don’t be like the woman who breaks her yarn after weaving it strongly, by making your oaths an act of deceiving one another in favour of a group more powerful (or more useful) than those with whom you made a covenant. Surely Allâh only tests you through this. And on the Day of Resurrection, He will make manifest to you that which you used to differ.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
And do not be like the woman who completely undoes her knitting after it has been put together, using your oaths as a means of gaining an advantage between you when one community is stronger than the other, for Allah tests you with it in order to explain to you on the day of resurrection what you used to differ in.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
Do not be like a woman who unravels yarn after she has tightly knitted it together. Do not use oaths in order to deceive one another because one group of you is more powerful than another. Allah will test you by this. On the Day of Resurrection, He will certainly clarify to you those things about which you disagree.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
And dopl not be like she who unravels her yarn, breaking it into pieces after she has spun it strongly, by using your oaths as a means of deception among you because one community is more prosperous than another community. Indeed, Allah is testing you thereby, and He will most surely clarify to you on the Day of Resurrection whatever you used to differ over.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
Do not be like a woman who unravels her yarn after its strands have been firmly spun. You use your oaths in order to snatch at advantages over one another, just because one nation may be more prosperous than another nation. Allah (God) is only testing you by means of it; so He may explain to you on Resurrection Day what you have been disagreeing about.
Samy Mahdy   
And do not be like her who unravels her yarn, after it was strong in renege. You are taking your oaths as deception between you, to be one community is more growing than another community. Surely Allah is trying you with it. And He will demonstrate for you, on The Resurrection Day, what you were within it differing.
Sayyid Qutb   
Be not like her who untwists the yarn which she has firmly spun, using your oaths as a means to deceive one another, simply because a particular community may be more powerful than another. By this, God puts you to the test. On the Day of Resurrection He will make clear to you all that on which you now differ.
Ahmed Hulusi   
Do not be like the woman who untwisted her thread after it was strongly spun... Because one community is more plentiful than another, you use your oaths as means of deceit... Allah only tries you with your oaths (so that your true face is revealed and you are unable to deny it later)... He will make clear to you the things over which you differ in the period of Doomsday.
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
And do not be like the woman who unravels her yarn, disintegrating it into pieces after having spun it tightly, by taking your oaths to be means of deceit between you, (imagining that) one group is more numerous than (another) group. Verily Allah only puts you on trial thereby and He will most certainly make clear to you on the Day of Resurrection that wherein you differed.
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
Do not be like the unstable workwoman who unravels and breaks the strands of her woven fabric after she has manufactured it in a loom by crossing the warp and the weft and interlaced them very strongly. What a tangled web you weave when first you practice to deceive. You use your oaths among yourselves with the guilt of deception residing in the intention; you break and dishonour your vows with the weak when you find them more advantageous with the strong. This is unexcusable nor is it in conformity with Islamic principles. Allah tests your prudence and in Day of Judgment shall He clear up matters with which you were at varianc
Mir Aneesuddin   
And do not be like her who breaks her thread, disintegrating it into pieces after it has been (spun) strong, (by) taking your oaths (as means of) deceit between you that you may become a community more elevated (or numerous) than (another) community. Allah only tests you through it, and He will definitely make clear to you on the day of resurrection, that in which you disagreed.

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
And be not like a woman who breaks into untwisted strands the yarn which she has spun, after it has become strong. Nor take your oaths to practise deception between yourselves, lest one party should be more numerous than another: for God will test you by this; and on the Day of Judgment He will certainly make clear to you (the truth of) that wherein ye disagree
OLD Literal Word for Word   
And (do) not be like her who untwists her spun yarn after strength (into) untwisted strands; you take your oaths (as) a deception between you, because is a community [it] more numerous than (another) community. Only, Allah tests you by it. And He will make clear to you (on) the Day (of) the Resurrection, what you used (to) in it differ
OLD Transliteration   
Wala takoonoo kaallatee naqadat ghazlaha min baAAdi quwwatin ankathan tattakhithoona aymanakum dakhalan baynakum an takoona ommatun hiya arba min ommatin innama yablookumu Allahu bihi walayubayyinanna lakum yawma alqiyamati ma kuntum feehi takhtalifoona