9وَأَنّا كُنّا نَقعُدُ مِنها مَقاعِدَ لِلسَّمعِ ۖ فَمَن يَستَمِعِ الآنَ يَجِد لَهُ شِهابًا رَصَدًاMuhammad Asadnotwithstanding that we were established in positions [which we had thought well-suited] to listening to [whatever secrets might be in] it:1 and anyone who now [or ever] tries to listen will [likewise] find a flame lying in wait for him!2I.e., "we failed notwithstanding our status as descendants of Abraham, and despite all our ability and learning".As the sequence shows (and as has been pointed out in note 17 on 15:18), this relates to all attempts at predicting the future by means of astrology or esoteric calculations, or at influencing the course of future events by means of "occult sciences".