Moses said to them — and there were 72 of them each with a rope and a staff in his hand — ‘Woe to you! meaning may God make you liable to woe. Do not invent a lie against God by ascribing partners to Him lest He annihilate you read fa-yushitakum or fa-yashatakum by some chastisement from Him. For verily he who invents lies against God fails’ he is the loser.