Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad
Said [the sorcerers]: "O Moses! Either thou throw (thy staff first], or we shall be the first to throw."
M. M. Pickthall
They said: O Moses! Either throw first, or let us be the first to throw
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
They said: "O Moses! whether wilt thou that thou throw (first) or that we be the first to throw?"
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab
They said, “O Moses! Either you cast, or let us be the first to cast.”
Safi Kaskas
They said, “Moses, either you throw, or we will be the first to throw.”
Wahiduddin Khan
They said, Moses, will you throw down first, or shall we be the first to throw down
Shakir
They said: O Musa! will you cast, or shall we be the first who cast down
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar
They said: O Moses! Either thou wilt cast or let us be the first to cast.
T.B.Irving
They said: "Moses, either you will cast [something] or shall we be the first to cast [a spell]?"
Abdul Hye
They said: “O Moses! Either you throw first or we are the first who will throw?”
The Study Quran
They said, “O Moses! Either you cast, or we shall be the first to cast.
Talal Itani & AI (2024)
They challenged, “O Moses, either you throw, or we will be the first to throw.”
Talal Itani (2012)
They said, 'O Moses, either you throw, or we will be the first to throw.'
Dr. Kamal Omar
They said: “O Musa! If it is that you drop (your rod) or if it is that we become the first that dropped (the articles)?
The magicians said: "O Moses! Will you throw down first or shall we?"
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali
They said, "O Musa, (Moses) either you will cast, or we will be the first to cast."
Muhammad Sarwar
They said, "Moses, would you be the first to show your skill or should we be the first to throw down our devices?"
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
They said, .O Musa, either you throw (first), or shall we be first to throw?
Shabbir Ahmed
The debaters asked, "O Moses! Do you begin or shall we go first?"
Dr. Munir Munshey
They said, "Oh Musa, either you cast (your spell) first, or else let us be the first to cast (the spell)."
Syed Vickar Ahamed
They said; "O Musa (Moses)! Either you be the one who throws (first) or will we be the first to throw?"
They said, "O Moses, either you throw or we will be the first to throw."
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)
They said: "O Moses, either you cast down or we will be the first to cast down."
Abdel Haleem
They said, ‘Moses, will you throw first or shall we?’
Abdul Majid Daryabadi
They said: either thou cast down, or we shall be the first to cast down
Ahmed Ali
They said: "Either you cast (your spell), O Moses, or we shall cast it first."
Aisha Bewley
They said, ´Musa, will you throw or shall we be the first to throw?´
Ali Ünal
They (the sorcerers) said: "Moses, either you throw or we will be the first to throw!"
Ali Quli Qara'i
They said, ‘O Moses! Either you will throw down, or we shall be the first to throw.’
Hamid S. Aziz
Said they, "O Moses! Either you must throw first, or let us throw first."
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad
They said: “Moses, do you throw or are we to throw first?”
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)
They said, “O Moses, would you rather that you throw first, or that we be the first to throw?
Musharraf Hussain
The magicians said, “Musa, either you throw or we’ll throw first.”
Maududi
The magicians said: "Moses, will you throw down or shall we be the first to throw?"
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)
They said: "O Moses, either you cast down or we will be the first to cast down."
Mohammad Shafi
They said (aloud), "O Moses! Will you do your act, or shall we be the first to do it?"
Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)
They said, 'O Musa! Either you cast or we cast first'.
They said, "O Moses, either you throw, or we will be the first to throw."
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah
They said to Moses: 'Will you throw down or shall we be the first
Maulana Muhammad Ali
They said: O Moses, wilt thou cast, or shall we be the first to cast down
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira
They said: "You Moses either that you throw , or that we be first who threw ."
Bijan Moeinian
They said: “O.K. Moses, who should start first?”
Faridul Haque
They said, "O Moosa, either you throw first - or shall we throw first?"
Sher Ali
They said, `O Moses, either do thou cast first, or we shall be the first to cast.
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
(The magicians) said: ‘O Musa (Moses), either you cast (your thing) or we become the first ones to cast.
Amatul Rahman Omar
(The sorcerers) said, `Moses! either you present (first what you have) or we shall be the first to present (what we have).
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali
They said:"O Moosa (Moses)! Either you throw first or we be the first to throw?"
New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame
They said, “O Moses, either you throw or we be the ones who are the first to throw.”
Munir Mezyed
They said: "O’ Moses! Either you throw or we will be the first to throw."
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher
They said: oh Musa (Moses), either you throw or we throw first.
Linda “iLHam” Barto
[On that day,] (Pharaoh’s magicians) said, “Moses, do you want to throw first, or do you want us to throw first?”
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation
They said, “O Moses, either you cast or we will be the first to cast.”
Irving & Mohamed Hegab
They said: "Moses, either you will cast [something] or shall we be the first to cast [a spell]?"
Samy Mahdy
They said, “O Moses, either you throw, or we will be the first who throw.?”
Sayyid Qutb
Said [the sorcerers]: 'Moses! Either you throw [first], or we shall be the first to throw.'
Ahmed Hulusi
They said, “O Moses! Either you throw first or we shall be the first to throw.”
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli
They (the sorcerers) said: 'O' Moses! Will you throw, or shall we be the first who throw?'
Face to face with Mussa, they said to him: "Would you like to cast down your staff first or shall we cast ours first!"
Mir Aneesuddin
They said, "O Musa! will you throw or shall we be the first to throw?"
The Wise Quran
They said, 'O Moses! Either you throw or we will be the first who throw.'