14وَلِلَّهِ مُلكُ السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضِ ۚ يَغفِرُ لِمَن يَشاءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشاءُ ۚ وَكانَ اللَّهُ غَفورًا رَحيمًاMuhammad AsadBut God's is the dominion over the heavens and the earth: He forgives whomever He wills, and imposes suffering on whomever He wills - and [withal,] He is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.1Implying that He may forgive even the most hardened sinners if they truly repent and mend their ways: an allusion to what the Prophet was to say according to verse 16.