The Quran

Preface

وَإِذ أَخَذنا ميثاقَ بَني إِسرائيلَ لا تَعبُدونَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَبِالوالِدَينِ إِحسانًا وَذِي القُربىٰ وَاليَتامىٰ وَالمَساكينِ وَقولوا لِلنّاسِ حُسنًا وَأَقيمُوا الصَّلاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكاةَ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيتُم إِلّا قَليلًا مِنكُم وَأَنتُم مُعرِضونَ

Yusuf Ali

And remember We took¹ a covenant from the Children of Israel (to this effect): Worship none but God. treat with kindness your parents and kindred, and orphans and those in need; speak fair to the people; be steadfast in prayer; and practise regular charity. Then did ye turn back, except a few among you, and ye backslide (even now).

So far from the Covenant being of the kind suggested in 2:80, the real Covenant is about the moral law, which is set out in 2:83. This moral law is universal, and if you break it, no privileges will lighten your punishment or help you in any way (2:86). “Speak fair to the people” not only means outward courtesy from the leaders to the meanest among the people, but the protection of the people from being exploited, deceived, defrauded, or doped with things to lull their intelligence.