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Muhammad Asad   
And when they are told, "Do not spread corruption on earth," they answer, "We are but improving things!"
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
When they are told, “Do not spread corruption in the land,” they reply, “We are only peace-makers!”
Safi Kaskas   
When they are told, "Do not cause corruption in the land," they say, "But we are reformers!"

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
وَإِذَا قِیلَ لَهُمۡ لَا تُفۡسِدُوا۟ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ قَالُوۤا۟ إِنَّمَا نَحۡنُ مُصۡلِحُونَ ۝١١
Transliteration (2021)   
wa-idhā qīla lahum lā tuf'sidū fī l-arḍi qālū innamā naḥnu muṣ'liḥūn
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
And when it is said to them, "(Do) not spread corruption in the earth," they say, "Only we (are) reformers."

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
And when they are told, "Do not spread corruption on earth," they answer, "We are but improving things!"
M. M. Pickthall   
And when it is said unto them: Make not mischief in the earth, they say: We are peacemakers only
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
When it is said to them: "Make not mischief on the earth," they say: "Why, we only Want to make peace!"
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
When they are told, “Do not spread corruption in the land,” they reply, “We are only peace-makers!”
Safi Kaskas   
When they are told, "Do not cause corruption in the land," they say, "But we are reformers!"
Wahiduddin Khan   
When they are told, Do not cause corruption in the land, they say, We are only promoters of peace
Shakir   
And when it is said to them, Do not make mischief in the land, they say: We are but peace-makers
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
And when it was said to them not to make corruption in and on the earth, they said: Truly, we are only ones who make things right.
T.B.Irving   
Whenever someone tells them: "Don´t act so depraved on earth," they say: "We are only improving matters!"
Abdul Hye   
And when it is said to them: “Don’t make mischief on earth,” they say: “We are only peace-makers.”
The Study Quran   
And when it is said unto them, “Do not work corruption upon the earth,” they say, “We are only working righteousness.
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
When they’re told, “Don’t sow corruption on earth,” they reply, “We are only reformers.”
Talal Itani (2012)   
And when it is said to them, 'Do not make trouble on earth,' they say, 'We are only reformers.'
Dr. Kamal Omar   
And when it was said to them: “Make no mischief on the earth,” they said: “We are only peace-makers.”
M. Farook Malik   
When it is said to them: "Do not make mischief on earth," they say: "We make peace."
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
And when it is said to them, "Do not corrupt in the earth, " they say, "Surely we are only doers of righteousness." (i.e. reformers, peacemakers
Muhammad Sarwar   
When they are told not to commit corruption in the land, they reply, "We are only reformers"
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
When it is said to them, .Do not spread disorder on the earth., they say, .We are but reformers
Shabbir Ahmed   
(By declining to submit to the Divine Values, every individual will formulate his own set of values. The obvious result would be corruption and chaos in the earth). When they are told not to cause corruption and disorder in the land, they say, "We are but reformers."
Dr. Munir Munshey   
When they are told, "Do not promote disorder and decadence in the world", they respond, "But we are really the reformers!"
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
When it is said to them: "Do not make mischief on the earth," they say: "Why, we only want to make peace!"
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
And when it is said to them, "Do not cause corruption on the earth," they say, "We are but reformers."
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
And if they are told: "Do not make evil in the land," they Say: "But we are the reformers!"
Abdel Haleem   
When it is said to them, ‘Do not cause corruption in the land,’ they say, ‘We are only putting things right,’
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
And when it said unto them: act not corruptly on the earth, they say: we are but reconcilers
Ahmed Ali   
When asked to desist from spreading corruption in the land they say: "Why, we are reformers."
Aisha Bewley   
When they are told, ´Do not cause corruption on the earth,´ they say, ´We are only putting things right.´
Ali Ünal   
(Because of the disorder they intend to provoke with their lies), whenever they are told (as part of the duty enjoined upon the believers to promote good and forbid evil), "Do not cause disorder and corruption on earth," they say: "Why! We indeed are the ones who set things right."
Ali Quli Qara'i   
When they are told, ‘Do not cause corruption on the earth,’ they say, ‘We are only reformers!’
Hamid S. Aziz   
And when it is said to them, "Do not evil in the earth," they say, "We do only what is right"
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
When they are told: “Do not commit corruption on the earth,” they say: “We are only doing what is right.”
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
When it is said to them, “Do no harm on the earth,” they say, “We only want to make things right.
Musharraf Hussain   
When they are told for their own good: “Don’t make trouble in the land”, they say: “We are the peacemakers”
Maududi   
Whenever it is said to them, "Spread not disorder on the earth", their reply is, "We only seek to put things aright"
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
And if they are told: "Do not make corruption in the land," they say: "But we are reformers!"
Mohammad Shafi   
And when they are told, "Make no mischief on the earth," they say, "We are but trying to improve things."

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
And when it is said to them, create not disorder on the earth, they say, 'we are but reformats'.
Rashad Khalifa   
When they are told, "Do not commit evil," they say, "But we are righteous!"
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
When it is said to them, 'Do not corrupt in the land, ' they reply, 'We are only reformers.
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
And when it is said to them, Make not mischief in the land, they say: We are but peacemakers
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
And if (it was) said to them: "Do not corrupt in the earth/Planet Earth." They said: "But we are correcting/repairing ."
Bijan Moeinian   
And when they are told, “Do not to make mischief on the earth,” they reply: “[Our actions are meant with the best intentions]/ we are indeed the righteous ones.”
Faridul Haque   
And when it is said to them, “Do not cause turmoil in the earth”, they say, “We are only peacemakers!”
Sher Ali   
And when it is said to them, `Create not disorder in the earth,' they say `We are only promoters of peace.
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
When it is said to them: ‘Do not spread disorder in the land,’ they say: ‘It is we who reform.
Amatul Rahman Omar   
When it is said to them, `Do not disturb the peace of the land (by hypocritical tactics),' they say, `We are simply setting things right (and so helping the cause of peace).
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
And when it is said to them: "Make not mischief on the earth," they say: "We are only peacemakers."

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
When it is said to them, 'Do not corruption in the land', they say, 'We are only ones that put things right.
George Sale   
When one saith unto them, act not corruptly in the earth; they reply, Verily we are men of integrity
Edward Henry Palmer   
And when it is said to them, 'Do not evil in the earth,' they say, 'We do but what is right.
John Medows Rodwell   
And when it is said to them, "Cause not disorders in the earth:" they say, "Nay, rather do we set them right."
N J Dawood (2014)   
If they are told: ‘You shall not do evil in the land,‘ they reply: ‘Surely we are doing only what is good.‘

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
And when it is said unto them, “Do not spread corruption in the earth” They say, “We are but those who practice righteousness.”
Munir Mezyed   
And when they are told not to make mischief on the earth, they say: ‘We are only seeking reforms’.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
And when they are told: do not cause corruption on earth, they say, we are only making things better.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
And when it is said to them, “Do not spread corruption in the land,” they say, “Indeed, we are only reformers.”
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
When they are told, “Do not make trouble upon the earth,” they say, “We are making things better!”
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
Whenever someone tells them: "Don't act so depraved on earth," they say: "We are only improving matters!"
Samy Mahdy   
And if it was said to them, “Do not spoil the earth,” they said, “We are only repairers.”
Sayyid Qutb   
When it is said to them: “Do not spread corruption in the land', they say: “We are but doers of good.'
Thomas Cleary   
And when they are told not to make trouble on earth, they say they are only doing good.
Ahmed Hulusi   
And when it is said to them, “Do not cause corruption (do not live contrary to your purpose of existence) on the earth (and your bodies),” they say, “We are but reformers (we use things justly and appropriately).”
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
And when it is said to them : 'do not make corruption in the earth', they say : 'verily, we are only reformers'
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
And when told to stop making mischief on earth nor create discord, they say: "But we only try to bring people to abandon the wrong course of life and conduct and adopt the right one till the new principle governs their thoughts"
Mir Aneesuddin   
And when it is said to them, "Do not cause corruption in the earth," they say, "We are but reformers."
The Ascendant Qur‘an, Muhammad H. al-‘Asi   
And when they are told, “Do not cause corruption on earth,” they say, “We are but improving things!

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
When it is said to them: "Make not mischief on the earth," they say: "Why, we only Want to make peace!"
OLD Literal Word for Word   
And when it is said to them, "(Do) not spread corruption in the earth," they say, "Only we (are) reformers.
OLD Transliteration   
Wa-itha qeela lahum la tufsidoo fee al-ardi qaloo innama nahnu muslihoona