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Muhammad Asad   
Yet, indeed, if thou wert to question them. they would surely answer, "We were only indulging in idle talk, and were playing [with words]. Say: "Were you, then. mocking at God and His messages and His Apostle
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
If you question them, they will certainly say, “We were only talking idly and joking around.” Say, “Was it Allah, His revelations, and His Messenger that you ridiculed?”
Safi Kaskas   
If you were to question them, they would surely answer, "We were just joking and having fun." Say, "Is it God, His messages and His Messenger that you were joking about?

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
وَلَىِٕن سَأَلۡتَهُمۡ لَیَقُولُنَّ إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نَخُوضُ وَنَلۡعَبُۚ قُلۡ أَبِٱللَّهِ وَءَایَـٰتِهِۦ وَرَسُولِهِۦ كُنتُمۡ تَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ ۝٦٥
Transliteration (2021)   
wala-in sa-altahum layaqūlunna innamā kunnā nakhūḍu wanalʿabu qul abil-lahi waāyātihi warasūlihi kuntum tastahziūn
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
And if you ask them, surely they will say, "Only we were conversing and playing." Say, "Is it Allah and His Verses and His Messenger (that) you were mocking?"

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
Yet, indeed, if thou wert to question them. they would surely answer, "We were only indulging in idle talk, and were playing [with words]. Say: "Were you, then. mocking at God and His messages and His Apostle
M. M. Pickthall   
And if thou ask them (O Muhammad) they will say: We did but talk and jest. Say: Was it at Allah and His revelations and His messenger that ye did scoff
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
If thou dost question them, they declare (with emphasis): "We were only talking idly and in play." Say: "Was it at Allah, and His Signs, and His Messenger, that ye were mocking?"
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
If you question them, they will certainly say, “We were only talking idly and joking around.” Say, “Was it Allah, His revelations, and His Messenger that you ridiculed?”
Safi Kaskas   
If you were to question them, they would surely answer, "We were just joking and having fun." Say, "Is it God, His messages and His Messenger that you were joking about?
Wahiduddin Khan   
If you ask them, they will say, We were only joking and playing with words. Say, Would you make a mockery of God and of His Revelations and of His Messenger
Shakir   
And if you should question them, they would certainly say: We were only idly discoursing and sporting. Say: Was it at Allah and His communications and His Messenger that you mocked
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
And if thou hadst asked them, they would say: Truly, we had only been engaging in idle talk and playing. Say: Was it God and His signs and His Messenger that you had been ridiculing?
T.B.Irving   
If you question them, they say: ´We have only been toying (with words) and playing around." SAY: "Have you been joking about God, and His signs and His messengers
Abdul Hye   
If you ask them about this, they declare: “We were only talking idly and joking.” Say: “Was it at Allah and His Verses and His Messenger that you were mocking?”
The Study Quran   
And if thou askest them, they will surely say, “We were only engaging [in vain talk] and playing.” Say, “Is it God, His signs, and His Messenger you were mocking?
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
If you question them, they will say, “We were only conversing and playing.” Say, “Do you make a mockery of God, His revelations, and His Messenger?”
Talal Itani (2012)   
If you ask them, they will say, 'We were just joking and playing.' Say, 'Were you making jokes about God, His revelations, and His Messenger?'
Dr. Kamal Omar   
If you ask them (about this), they will surely say: “Surely, it is that we talk idly and we play.” Say: “Whether, with Allah, and His Ayaat and His Messenger, you had been ridiculing?”
M. Farook Malik   
If you ask them, "what were you talking about?" They will promptly say: "We were only jesting and having fun." Say: "What, then! Were you mocking at Allah, His revelations and His Messenger?"
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
And indeed in case you ask them, then indeed they would definitely say, "Surely we were only wading (Or: plunging into, becoming abcoming absorbed in (a subject) and playing." Say, "Then were you mocking Allah, and His signs, and His Messenger?
Muhammad Sarwar   
If you question them about their manners, they say, "We were only arguing for the sake of amusement." Ask them, "Were you mocking God, His revelations, and His Messenger?"
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
And if you ask them, they will say, .We were just chatting and having fun. Say, .Is it of Allah and His verses and His Messenger that you were making fun?
Shabbir Ahmed   
And if you ask them (O Messenger), they will say, "We only talk and jest." Say, "Do you realize that you are mocking Allah, His Revelations and His Messenger?"
Dr. Munir Munshey   
If you were to ask them, they would surely say, "We were just joking and having fun." Say, "Are you having fun (and cutting jokes) about Allah, His verses and His messenger?"
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
If you question them, they say (with force): "We were only talking simply and in joke." Say: "Was it at Allah, and His Signs, and His Messenger (Muhammad), about whom you were mocking
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
And if you ask them, they will surely say, "We were only conversing and playing." Say, "Is it Allah and His verses and His Messenger that you were mocking?"
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
And if you ask them they Say: "We were only jesting and playing." Say: "Is it in God and His verses and His messenger you were mocking"
Abdel Haleem   
yet if you were to question them, they would be sure to say, ‘We were just chatting, just amusing ourselves.’ Say, ‘Were you making jokes about God, His Revelations, and His Mes-senger
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
Shouldst thou question them, they will surely say: : we were only plunging about and playing. Say thou: was it Allah and His signs and His apostle that ye have been mocking
Ahmed Ali   
But if you ask them, they will say: "We were only gossiping and jesting." You ask them: "Were you jesting with God, His revelations and His messengers?"
Aisha Bewley   
If you ask them they will say, ´We were only joking and playing around.´ Say: ´Would you make a mockery of Allah and of His Signs and of His Messenger?
Ali Ünal   
If you ask them (about what they were saying), they will say: "We were merely jesting and being playful." Say: "Was it God and His Revelations and His Messenger that you were mocking?"
Ali Quli Qara'i   
If you question them [regarding their conduct], they will surely say, ‘We were just gossiping and amusing ourselves.’ Say, ‘Were you deriding Allah, His signs, and His apostles
Hamid S. Aziz   
But if you should ask them, they will say, "We did but talk and jest." Say, "Was it at Allah and His revelations, and His Messenger, that you mocked?"
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
And if you ask them, they shall say: “We were only kidding and playing.” Say: “Were you making fun of God and His signs and His messenger?”
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
If you question them they declare, “We were only talking, we were playing.” Say, “Was it God, His signs, and His messenger which you were mocking?
Musharraf Hussain   
If you ask them about some incident, they will say, “We were just discussing and having fun.” Say: “Are you mocking Allah, His verses and His Messenger
Maududi   
Should you question them what they were talking about, they would certainly say: "We were merely jesting and being playful." Tell them: "Was it Allah and Hi
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
And if you ask them they say: "We were only jesting and playing." Say: "In God and His revelations and His messenger you were mocking?"
Mohammad Shafi   
And if you should question them, they would certainly say, "We were just passing our time with idle talk." Say, "Was it at Allah and His Verses and His Messenger that you mocked!?"

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
And O' beloved Prophet! If you ask to them, they will say 'We were only jesting and playing'. Say you; 'Do you mock at Allah and His signs and His Messengers?'
Rashad Khalifa   
If you ask them, they would say, "We were only mocking and kidding." Say, "Do you realize that you are mocking GOD, and His revelations, and His messenger?"
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
If you question them, they will say: 'We were only plunging and playing. ' Say: 'Were you mocking Allah, His verses, and His Messenger
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
And if thou ask them, they would certainly say: We were only talking idly and sporting. Say: Was it Allah and His messages and His Messenger that you mocked
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
And if (E) you asked/questioned them, they will say (E): "But we were plunging into/engaging in conversation and we were playing/amusing ." Say: "Is with/by God and His evidences/verses , and His messenger you were mocking ?"
Bijan Moeinian   
If you ask them [why there were making fun of God and religious matters], they (like today’s comedians) would say: “We were just kidding.” Say: “Kidding or not kidding; do you realize that you were making fun of God, His Revelations and His Messenger?”
Faridul Haque   
And if you ask them, they will say, "We were just having fun and pastime"; say, "What! You mock at Allah and His verses and His Noble Messenger?"
Sher Ali   
And if thou question them, they will most surely say, `We were only talking idly and jesting.' Say, `Was it ALLAH and HIS Signs and HIS Messenger that you mocked at?
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
If you ask them, they will certainly say: ‘We only used to talk (away the journey) and enjoy.’ Say: ‘Were you mocking Allah, His Revelations and His Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him)?
Amatul Rahman Omar   
And if you (thereupon) ask them (to explain their conduct) they will certainly say, `We were talking idly and just making a jest.' Say, `Is it of (the Almighty Being like) Allah and His revelations and His Messenger that you (dare to) talk so lightly (could you find none else for the purpose!)
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
If you ask them (about this), they declare: "We were only talking idly and joking." Say: "Was it at Allah ( ), and His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and His Messenger (SAW) that you were mocking?"

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
And if thou questionest them, then assuredly they will say, 'We were only plunging and playing.' Say: 'What, then were you mocking God, and His signs, and His Messenger
George Sale   
And if thou ask them the reason of this scoffing, they say, verily we were only engaged in discourse, and jesting among ourselves. Say, do ye scoff at God and his signs, and at his apostle
Edward Henry Palmer   
But if thou shouldst ask them, they will say, 'We did but discuss and jest;' say, 'Was it at God and His signs, and His Apostle, that ye mocked?
John Medows Rodwell   
And if thou question them, they will surely say, "We were only discoursing and jesting." SAY: What! do ye scoff at God, and His signs, and His Apostle
N J Dawood (2014)   
If you question them, they will surely say: ‘We were only jesting and making merry.‘ Say: ‘Would you mock God, His revelations, and His apostle

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
And if you were to interrogate them they would surely have said, “We were just indulging ourselves and playing” Say, “Is it Allah and His signs and His messenger that you were mocking about?”
Munir Mezyed   
If it happens that you question them, they will say: "We were only talking idly and playing.” Say: “Were you then mocking at Allâh what He has revealed of the Knowledge of the Truth , and at His Messenger?”
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
And if you asked them, they would say: we were only joking and playing. Say: did you make fun of Allah and His signs and His messenger?
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
If you question them, they will say, “We were only joking and fooling around.” Say, “Would you make a mockery of Allah, His signs, and His messenger?
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
And if yousg ask them, they will most surely say, “Indeed, we were but blundering and playing.” Say, “Were youpl ridiculing Allah and His signs and His Messenger?”
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
If you question them, they say: 'We have only been toying (with words) and playing around." SAY: "Have you been joking about Allah (God), and His signs and His messengers
Samy Mahdy   
And if you asked them, they would say, “We were just only discoursing and playing.” Say, “Is it with Allah and His verses and His Messenger, you were mocking?"
Sayyid Qutb   
Should you question them, they will say: 'We have only been indulging in idle talk and jesting.' Say: 'Was it, then, at God, His revelations and His Messenger that you have been mocking?'
Ahmed Hulusi   
If you ask them, they will certainly say, “We were merely conversing and enjoying ourselves!” Say, “Is it Allah, your essential reality, His signs, and His Rasul that you were mocking?”
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
And if you question them (regarding their mockery) , they will certainly say:� We were only discoursing and sporting. � Say: Were you mocking Allah, His signs, and His Messenger?
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
And if you should ask them O Muhammad after their real nature has been betrayed, as to why did they plunge into defaming religion and disobeying Allah and His Messenger and laugh them to scorn! They would insolently say: We always plunge into worldly ambition and like to turn matters into a joke. Say to them: Do you make Allah, His revelations and His Messenger the object of a joke and laugh them to scorn
Mir Aneesuddin   
And if you ask them they will definitely say, "We were only talking idly and sporting." Say, "Was it at Allah and His signs and His messenger that you were mocking?"

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
If thou dost question them, they declare (with emphasis): "We were only talking idly and in play." Say: "Was it at God, and His Signs, and His Apostle, that ye were mocking?"
OLD Literal Word for Word   
And if you ask them, surely they will say, "Only we were conversing and playing." Say, "Is it Allah and His Verses and His Messenger (that) you were mocking?
OLD Transliteration   
Wala-in saaltahum layaqoolunna innama kunna nakhoodu wanalAAabu qul abiAllahi waayatihi warasoolihi kuntum tastahzi-oona