Those before them also schemed, but Allah took their structures from the foundations, and the roof caved in on them. The punishment came at them from where they did not perceive.
An-Nahl 16:26
Compare 15 English translations
قَدْ مَكَرَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ فَأَتَى اللَّهُ بُنْيَانَهُمْ مِنَ الْقَوَاعِدِ فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّقْفُ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ وَأَتَاهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ
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Those before them also schemed, but God took their structures from the foundations, and the roof caved in on them. The punishment came at them from where they did not perceive.
People before them made tricky plans too. But Allah made the foundations of their buildings collapse, and the roofs fell on top of them. Punishment came to them from where they didn't expect.
People before them made evil plans, but Allah struck at the foundations of their buildings, and the roofs fell down on them from above. Punishment came to them from where they least expected.
Those before them plotted, but God came at their structure from the foundations, and the roof collapsed upon them from above, and the punishment came to them from where they did not perceive.
Those before them also plotted, but Allah came upon their buildings from the foundations, and the roof fell down on them from above them, and the punishment came at them from where they did not expect.
Those before them also plotted, but God came upon their buildings from the foundations, and the roof fell down on them from above them, and the punishment came at them from where they did not expect.
Those before them had already plotted, but Allāh came at [i.e., uprooted] their building from the foundations, so the roof fell upon them from above them, and the punishment came to them from where they did not perceive.
Those before them indeed plotted, but Allâh struck at the foundation of their building, and then the roof fell down upon them, from above them, and the torment overtook them from directions they did not perceive.
Those who came before them plotted, so Allah uprooted their buildings from their foundations and the roof fell down on top of them, and the punishment came on them from where they could not imagine.
Those before them did also plot (against Allah's Way): but Allah took their structures from their foundations, and the roof fell down on them from above; and the Wrath seized them from directions they did not perceive.
Those before them plotted, so Allah struck at the foundations of their building, and then the roof fell down upon them from above them, and the doom came on them whence they knew not;
Those who went before them also plotted. But God struck at the foundations of their building, and the roof fell down upon them from above. The punishment came upon them from where they did not expect.
Surely many people before them had plotted in a similar manner to (vanquish the Truth), but Allah uprooted the whole structure of their plot from its foundations so that the roof fell in upon them, and the chastisement (of Allah) visited them from unknown directions.
Those who were before them [had also] schemed. Then Allah came at their edifice from the foundations and the roof fell down upon them from above and the punishment overtook them whence they were not aware.
Qad makara allatheena min qablihim faata Allahu bunyanahum mina alqawaAAidi fakharra AAalayhimu alssaqfu min fawqihim waatahumu alAAathabu min haythu la yashAAuroona