Pharaoh's defiance

قَالُوٓا۟ أَرْجِهْ وَأَخَاهُ وَأَرْسِلْ فِى ٱلْمَدَآئِنِ حَـٰشِرِينَ

They said, "Postpone [the matter of] him and his brother and send among the cities gatherers

۞ وَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰٓ أَنْ أَلْقِ عَصَاكَ ۖ فَإِذَا هِىَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَ

And We inspired to Moses, "Throw your staff," and at once it devoured what they were falsifying.

فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلطُّوفَانَ وَٱلْجَرَادَ وَٱلْقُمَّلَ وَٱلضَّفَادِعَ وَٱلدَّمَ ءَايَـٰتٍ مُّفَصَّلَـٰتٍ فَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ وَكَانُوا۟ قَوْمًا مُّجْرِمِينَ

So We sent upon them the flood and locusts and lice and frogs and blood as distinct signs, but they were arrogant and were a criminal people.

إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَإِي۟هِۦ فَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ وَكَانُوا۟ قَوْمًا عَالِينَ

To Pharaoh and his establishment, but they were arrogant and were a haughty people.

قَالَ أَوَلَوْ جِئْتُكَ بِشَىْءٍ مُّبِينٍ

[Moses] said, "Even if I brought you something [i.e., proof] manifest?"

قَالَ لِلْمَلَإِ حَوْلَهُۥٓ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَسَـٰحِرٌ عَلِيمٌ

[Pharaoh] said to the eminent ones around him, "Indeed, this is a learned magician.

وَإِنَّا لَجَمِيعٌ حَـٰذِرُونَ

And indeed, we are a cautious society..."

أَمْ أَنَا۠ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى هُوَ مَهِينٌ وَلَا يَكَادُ يُبِينُ

Or am I [not] better than this one [i.e., Moses] who is insignificant and hardly makes himself clear?