Pharaonic tyranny

يَقْدُمُ قَوْمَهُۥ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ فَأَوْرَدَهُمُ ٱلنَّارَ ۖ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْوِرْدُ ٱلْمَوْرُودُ

He will precede his people on the Day of Resurrection and lead them into the Fire; and wretched is the place to which they are led.

قَالَ لَئِنِ ٱتَّخَذْتَ إِلَـٰهًا غَيْرِى لَأَجْعَلَنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلْمَسْجُونِينَ

[Pharaoh] said, "If you take a god other than me, I will surely place you among those imprisoned."

قَالَ نَعَمْ وَإِنَّكُمْ إِذًا لَّمِنَ ٱلْمُقَرَّبِينَ

He said, "Yes, and indeed, you will then be of those near [to me]."

وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ يَـٰهَـٰمَـٰنُ ٱبْنِ لِى صَرْحًا لَّعَلِّىٓ أَبْلُغُ ٱلْأَسْبَـٰبَ

And Pharaoh said, "O Hāmān, construct for me a tower that I might reach the ways -