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Muhammad Asad   
Tell those who are bent on denying the truth that if they desist, all that is past shall be forgiven them; but if they revert [to their wrongdoing], let them remember what happened to the like of them in times gone by
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
Tell the disbelievers that if they desist, their past will be forgiven. But if they persist, then they have an example in those destroyed before them.
Safi Kaskas   
Tell the unbelievers if they stop, all their past will be forgiven, but if they persist, they have an example in the fate of those who went before.

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Source Arabic and Literal tools
Arabic   
قُل لِّلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوۤا۟ إِن یَنتَهُوا۟ یُغۡفَرۡ لَهُم مَّا قَدۡ سَلَفَ وَإِن یَعُودُوا۟ فَقَدۡ مَضَتۡ سُنَّتُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِینَ ۝٣٨
Transliteration (2021)   
qul lilladhīna kafarū in yantahū yugh'far lahum mā qad salafa wa-in yaʿūdū faqad maḍat sunnatu l-awalīn
Word for Word
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh, Ms. Kauser Katri, and more
  
Say to those who disbelieve if they cease will be forgiven for them what [verily] (is) past. But if they return then verily preceded (the) practice (of) the former (people).

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad   
Tell those who are bent on denying the truth that if they desist, all that is past shall be forgiven them; but if they revert [to their wrongdoing], let them remember what happened to the like of them in times gone by
M. M. Pickthall   
Tell those who disbelieve that if they cease (from persecution of believers) that which is past will be forgiven them; but if they return (thereto) then the example of the men of old hath already gone (before them, for a warning)
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)   
Say to the Unbelievers, if (now) they desist (from Unbelief), their past would be forgiven them; but if they persist, the punishment of those before them is already (a matter of warning for them)
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab   
Tell the disbelievers that if they desist, their past will be forgiven. But if they persist, then they have an example in those destroyed before them.
Safi Kaskas   
Tell the unbelievers if they stop, all their past will be forgiven, but if they persist, they have an example in the fate of those who went before.
Wahiduddin Khan   
Tell those who are bent on denying the truth that if they desist, their past shall be forgiven, but if they persist in sin, they have an example in the fate of those who went before
Shakir   
Say to those who disbelieve, if they desist, that which is past shall be forgiven to them; and if they return, then what happened to the ancients has already passed
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar   
Say to those who were ungrateful: If they refrain themselves, what is past will be forgiven. And if they repeat then, surely, a custom passed of the ancient ones as a warning.
T.B.Irving   
Tell those who disbelieve that anything they have done in the past will be forgiven once they stop [doing so], while if they should ever do it over again, the precedent with the earliest men has already been set.
Abdul Hye   
Say (O Muhammad) to those who have disbelieved, if they desist (from disbelief), their past will be forgiven. But if they revert, then let them precede the examples of the ancients (as a warning).
The Study Quran   
Say to the disbelievers that, if they desist, what is past will be forgiven them, but if they relapse, then the wont of those of old has already passed
Talal Itani & AI (2024)   
Tell the disbelievers: if they desist, what is past will be forgiven them. But if they resume, the precedent of the ancients has already been established.
Talal Itani (2012)   
Say to those who disbelieve: if they desist, their past will be forgiven. But if they persist—the practice of the ancients has passed away
Dr. Kamal Omar   
Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (disbelieving, repent and accept the contents of Al-Kitab) whatever has definitely passed away (as bad deeds) will be forgiven to them. And if they repeat, then surely, has appeared in the past (Allah’s) pattern of behaviour with the predecessors
M. Farook Malik   
O Prophet, tell the unbelievers that if they desist from unbelief, their past shall be forgiven; but if they persist in sin, let them reflect upon the fate of their forefathers
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali   
Say to the ones who have disbelieved, in case they refrain, whatever has already passed will be forgiven them; and in case they go back, then the enactment (for) the earliest (people) has already gone by
Muhammad Sarwar   
Muhammad, tell the unbelievers, if you give up your evil behavior, God will forgive whatever you have done in the past. But if you transgras again, your fate will be the same as that of those (unbelievers) who lived before you."
Muhammad Taqi Usmani   
Say to those who disbelieve that if they desist (from infidelity), they shall be forgiven for what has passed (of their sins), and if they repeat, then, the precedent of the earlier people is already established (that the infidels are punished)
Shabbir Ahmed   
(O Prophet) Tell the disbelievers that if they cease hostilities, all their past will be forgiven. But if they return, they will meet the example of the old nations
Dr. Munir Munshey   
Tell (all) those who have disbelieved, that (even now) if they give up (their skepticism), He will forgive their past deeds. However, if they persist then (remember): a precedent (for punishing the unbelievers) has existed since the earliest generation
Syed Vickar Ahamed   
Say to the disbelievers, if they stop themselves (from disbelief), their past (actions) would be forgiven to them; But if they continue, the punishment of those before them is already (before them as a warning)
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)   
Say to those who have disbelieved [that] if they cease, what has previously occurred will be forgiven for them. But if they return [to hostility] - then the precedent of the former [rebellious] peoples has already taken place
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)   
Say to the rejecters: "If they cease, then what has passed before will be forgiven to them, and if they return to it, then the example of the previous generations has already been given."
Abdel Haleem   
[Prophet], tell the disbelievers that if they desist their past will be forgiven, but if they persist, they have an example in the fate of those who went before
Abdul Majid Daryabadi   
Say thou unto those who have disbelieved: if they desist, that which is past shall be forgiven them, and if they return, then already gone forth is the dispensation of the ancients
Ahmed Ali   
You tell the unbelievers in case they desist whatever has happened will be forgiven them. If they persist, they should remember the fate of those who have gone before them
Aisha Bewley   
Say to those who are kafir that if they stop, they will be forgiven what is past; but if they return to it, they have the pattern of previous peoples in the past.
Ali Ünal   
Tell those persistent in unbelief that if they cease (to disbelieve themselves and prevent others from entering the fold of Islam), what is past will be forgiven them; but if they revert (to their hostilities), then it is manifest by what happened to the people of old times (what their fate must be)
Ali Quli Qara'i   
Say to the faithless, if they relinquish [faithlessness], what is already past shall be forgiven them. But if they revert [to faithlessness], then the precedent of the ancients has already passed
Hamid S. Aziz   
Tell those who disbelieve, that if they desist they will be forgiven what is past; but if they return (to evil ways) then the example of men of former days has already gone before them
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad   
Tell those who disbelieve that if they stop, what has passed is forgiven for them, and if they return (to it), then the way of (dealing with) the earlier ones has already preceded.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)   
Say to those who disbelieve, that if they desist, their past will be forgiven, but if they persist, the punishment of those before them should serve as a warning to them
Musharraf Hussain   
Tell the disbelievers to stop their wrongdoings so they may be forgiven sins of the past. If they go back to their evil ways, the example of the people of old is there for them.
Maududi   
[O Prophet!] Tell the unbelievers that if they desist from evil, their past shall be forgiven and if they revert to their past ways, then it is well known what happened with the people of the past
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)   
Say to the rejecters: "If they cease, then what has passed before will be forgiven to them, and if they return to it, then the example of the previous generations has already been given."
Mohammad Shafi   
Tell those who suppress the Truth that if they desist, that which is past shall be forgiven to them. And if they persist, what happened to the ancients is already on record.

Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)   
Say you to the infidels, if they now desist, that which is past will be forgiven. But if they repeat the same then the precedence of the former people has already gone.
Rashad Khalifa   
Tell those who disbelieved: if they stop, all their past will be forgiven. But if they return, they will incur the same fate as their previous counterparts.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah   
Tell the unbelievers that if they abandon their ways He will forgive them what is past; but, if they return, that was indeed the way of their forefathers who have passed away
Maulana Muhammad Ali   
Say to those who disbelieve, if they desist, that which is past will be forgiven them; and if they return, then the example of those of old has already gone
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira   
Say to those who disbelieved: "If they terminate/stop, (it) will be forgiven for them what had preceded/passed , and if they return, so the first's/beginners'' law/manner had passed/expired ."
Bijan Moeinian   
Let the disbelievers know that, if they stop it, all their past will be forgiven. If they continue [their old tricks,] they will be subjected to what the guilty nations before them were subjected to
Faridul Haque   
Say to the disbelievers that if they desist, what has passed will be forgiven to them; and if they do the same, the tradition of former people has already passed
Sher Ali   
Say to those who disbelieve, if they desist, that which is past will be forgiven them; and if they return to their misdeeds, then verily the example of the former peoples has already gone before them
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   
Say to those who disbelieve: ‘If they desist (from their blasphemous acts), then the (sins) which have passed will be forgiven. But if they repeat the same, then the pattern of (multiple punishments given to) the forerunners has passed. (They will also be dealt with the same way.)
Amatul Rahman Omar   
Say to these who disbelieve that if they desist (now from persecuting the Muslims) they will be protected against the past (misdeeds), but if they revert (to their old ways of mischief), then the example of their predecessors has already gone before (and they will meet the same doom)
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali   
Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief) their past will be forgiven. But if they return (thereto), then the examples of those (punished) before them have already preceded (as a warning)

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John Arberry   
Say to the unbelievers, if they give over He will forgive them what is past; but if they return, the wont of the ancients is already gone
George Sale   
Say to those who disbelieve, if they desist, that which is past will be forgiven them; and if they return to their misdeeds, then verily the example of the former peoples has already gone before them
Edward Henry Palmer   
Say to those who misbelieve, if they desist they will be forgiven what is past; but if they return,- the course of those of former days has passed away
John Medows Rodwell   
SAY to the infidels: If they desist from their unbelief, what is now past shall be forgiven them; but if they return to it, they have already before them the doom of the ancients
N J Dawood (2014)   
Tell the unbelievers that if they mend their ways their past shall be forgiven; but if they relapse, then theirs shall be the fate of bygone nations

New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame   
Say unto those who disbelieve, “If they desist then all that which had gone by will be forgiven for them but if they return back, then surely the examples of the ancients have indeed come to pass.”
Munir Mezyed   
Say to those who persistently refuse to Yield to the Truth, if it happens that they renounce (polytheism), then their past iniquitous and wicked deeds will be forgiven. But if they persist (in spiritual darkness), then the example of the former peoples has already gone before them.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher   
Say to those who reject (the truth), if they stop, they will be forgiven what went before, and if they return, then the example of old has already passed.
Linda “iLHam” Barto   
Tell the unbelievers that if they stop, their past will be forgiven for them. If they slip back [into sin], they should recall what happened to people like them in the past.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation   
Tellsg those who have denied that if they desist, they will be forgiven whatever has already passed. But if they return—then the rule of (God regarding) the ancients is already established.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab   
Tell those who disbelieve that anything they have done in the past will be forgiven once they stop [doing so], while if they should ever do it over again, the precedent with the earliest men has already been set.
Samy Mahdy   
Say to those who disbelieve: if they end, it will be forgiven for them what already was past; and if they return, so already the former’s route has passed away.
Sayyid Qutb   
Say to the unbelievers that if they desist, all that is past shall be forgiven them; but if they persist [in their erring ways], let them remember what happened to the like of them in former times.
Ahmed Hulusi   
Tell those who deny the knowledge of the reality, if they abandon (their false beliefs) then their past mistakes will be forgiven! But if they return to their old beliefs, then remind them of what happened to the previous people!
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli   
Tell those who disbelieve, if they desist (from corruptions) what has past will be forgiven for them, but if they return (thereto) , then what happened to the ancients has already passed.
Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur‘an al-Karim   
Tell O Muhammad these infidels: if they are willing to renounce infidelity, desist from evil purpose and turn to Allah, they will be forgiven their past iniquities. But should they resume hostilities and persist in their intentional assertion of falsehood, then suffice it to say that Allah's mode of action pursued in the past for each typical instance of punishment shah not alter
Mir Aneesuddin   
Say to those who do not believe, if they desist then that which has passed will be protectively forgiven to them but if they repeat, then what happened to the ancient has already passed (as history and should serve as a warning).
The Wise Quran   
Say to those who disbelieved, if they desist, what verily is past will be forgiven them; and if they return, then verily the course of the former people has passed.

Obsolete and/or older editions
Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938)   
Say to the Unbelievers, if (now) they desist (from Unbelief), their past would be forgiven them; but if they persist, the punishment of those before them is already (a matter of warning for them)
OLD Literal Word for Word   
Say to those who disbelieve if they cease will be forgiven for them what [verily] (is) past. But if they return then verily preceded (the) practice (of) the former (people)
OLD Transliteration   
Qul lillatheena kafaroo in yantahoo yughfar lahum ma qad salafa wa-in yaAAoodoo faqad madat sunnatu al-awwaleena