O you who believe be upright in justice; witnesses of the truth for God even though it the witnessing be against yourselves so be witness against them your selves by affirming the truth and not concealing it; or against parents and kinsmen whether the person witnessed against be rich or poor; God is closer to the two than you and He has better knowledge of what is good for them. So do not follow any whim in your testimonies by being partial to the rich one seeking his pleasure or by being partial to the poor one out of compassion for him lest you swerve so that you do not incline away from the truth for if you twist a variant reading for talwūw has talū if you distort your testimony or refrain from giving it surely God is ever aware of what you do and will requite you accordingly.
