The Holy Quran, Surat Al-A'raf - الأعراف

قَالُواْ يَا مُوسَى إِمَّا أَن تُلْقِيَ وَإِمَّا أَن نَّكُونَ نَحْنُ الْمُلْقِينَ

They said: O Moses! Either throw (first) or let us be the first throwers?

وَجَاء السَّحَرَةُ فِرْعَوْنَ قَالْواْ إِنَّ لَنَا لأَجْراً إِن كُنَّا نَحْنُ الْغَالِبِينَ

And the wizards came to Pharaoh, saying: Surely there will be a reward for us if we are victors.

قَالُواْ أَرْجِهْ وَأَخَاهُ وَأَرْسِلْ فِي الْمَدَآئِنِ حَاشِرِينَ

They said (unto Pharaoh): Put him off (a while) him and his brother and send into the cities summoners,

قَالَ الْمَلأُ مِن قَوْمِ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّ هَـذَا لَسَاحِرٌ عَلِيمٌ

The chiefs of Pharaoh's people said: Lo! this is some knowing wizard,

فَأَلْقَى عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ ثُعْبَانٌ مُّبِينٌ

Then he flung down his staff and lo! it was a serpent manifest;

حَقِيقٌ عَلَى أَن لاَّ أَقُولَ عَلَى اللّهِ إِلاَّ الْحَقَّ قَدْ جِئْتُكُم بِبَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ فَأَرْسِلْ مَعِيَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ

Approved upon condition that I speak concerning Allah nothing but the truth I come unto you (lords of Egypt) with a clear proof from your Lord. So let the Children of Israel go with me.

ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَا مِن بَعْدِهِم مُّوسَى بِآيَاتِنَا إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَئِهِ فَظَلَمُواْ بِهَا فَانظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِينَ

Then, after them, We sent Moses with our tokens unto Pharaoh and his chiefs, but they repelled them. Now, see the nature of the consequence for the corrupters!