Popular Translations
Muhammad Asad
But [since] good and evil cannot be equal, repel thou [evil] with something that is better and lo! he between whom and thyself was enmity [may then become] as though he had [always] been close [unto thee], a true friend
Arthur John Arberry
Not equal are the good deed and the evil deed. Repel with that which is fairer and behold, he between whom and thee there is enmity shall be as if he were a loyal friend
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
Nor can goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (Evil) with what is better: Then will he between whom and thee was hatred become as it were thy friend and intimate
Arabic
وَلَا تَسۡتَوِی ٱلۡحَسَنَةُ وَلَا ٱلسَّیِّئَةُۚ ٱدۡفَعۡ بِٱلَّتِی هِیَ أَحۡسَنُ فَإِذَا ٱلَّذِی بَیۡنَكَ وَبَیۡنَهُۥ عَدَ ٰوَةࣱ كَأَنَّهُۥ وَلِیٌّ حَمِیمࣱ ٣٤
Transliteration (2021)
walā tastawī l-ḥasanatu walā l-sayi-atu id'faʿ bi-allatī hiya aḥsanu fa-idhā alladhī baynaka wabaynahu ʿadāwatun ka-annahu waliyyun ḥamīmu