(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."
(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."
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.&rdquo
Faridul Haque
And when it is said to them, “Do not cause turmoil in the earth”, they say, “We are only peacemakers!&rdquo
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah
When it is said to them, 'Do not corrupt in the land, ' they reply, 'We are only reformers.
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).
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"