The Quran

Preface

وَقالَ الشَّيطانُ لَمّا قُضِيَ الأَمرُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَعَدَكُم وَعدَ الحَقِّ وَوَعَدتُكُم فَأَخلَفتُكُم ۖ وَما كانَ لِيَ عَلَيكُم مِن سُلطانٍ إِلّا أَن دَعَوتُكُم فَاستَجَبتُم لي ۖ فَلا تَلوموني وَلوموا أَنفُسَكُم ۖ ما أَنا بِمُصرِخِكُم وَما أَنتُم بِمُصرِخِيَّ ۖ إِنّي كَفَرتُ بِما أَشرَكتُمونِ مِن قَبلُ ۗ إِنَّ الظّالِمينَ لَهُم عَذابٌ أَليمٌ

Yusuf Ali

And Satan will say when the matter is decided:¹ “It was God Who gave you a promise of Truth: I too promised, but I failed in my promise to you. I had no authority over you except to call you but ye listened to me: then reproach not me, but reproach your own souls. I cannot listen to your cries, nor can ye listen to mine. I reject² your former act in associating me with God. For wrong-doers there must be a grievous penalty.”

After the Judgment, Evil declares itself in its true colours. Frankly it says: 'I deceived you. The promise of God was true, but you believed me rather than God. I had no power to force you. I had but to call you, and you came running after me. You must blame yourselves. Did you think I was equal with God? I know too well that I was not and never could be. If you did wrong, you must suffer the Penalty.'
See the last note. An alternative interpretation of this sentence may be: “I had already beforehand rebelled against God with Whom ye associated me.”