The Quran

وَأَنِ احكُم بَينَهُم بِما أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلا تَتَّبِع أَهواءَهُم وَاحذَرهُم أَن يَفتِنوكَ عَن بَعضِ ما أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ إِلَيكَ ۖ فَإِن تَوَلَّوا فَاعلَم أَنَّما يُريدُ اللَّهُ أَن يُصيبَهُم بِبَعضِ ذُنوبِهِم ۗ وَإِنَّ كَثيرًا مِنَ النّاسِ لَفاسِقونَ

Muhammad Asad

Hence, judge between the followers of earlier revelation¹ in accordance with what God has bestowed from on high, and do not follow their errant views; and beware of them, lest they tempt thee away from aught that God has bestowed from on high upon thee. And if they turn away [from His commandments], then know that it is but God's will [thus] to afflict them for some of their sins:² for, behold, a great many people are iniquitous indeed.

Lit., "between them": see notes 55 and 65 above.
The implication is that a conscious disregard of God's commandments brings with it its own punishment: namely, a gradual corruption of the community's moral values and, thus, growing social disruption and internecine conflict.