তিনি নৌকা তৈরী করতে লাগলেন, আর তাঁর কওমের নেতৃস্থানীয় ব্যক্তিরা যখন পার্শ্ব দিয়ে যেত, তখন তাঁকে বিদ্রুপ করত। তিনি বললেন, তোমরা যদি আমাদের উপহাস করে থাক, তবে তোমরা যেমন উপহাস করছ আমরাও তদ্রুপ তোমাদের উপহাস করছি।
And as he was constructing the ship, whenever the chiefs of his people passed by him, they made a mockery of him. He said: ”If you mock at us, so do we mock at you likewise for your mocking.
وَيَصْنَعُ الْفُلْكَ وَكُلَّمَا مَرَّ عَلَيْهِ مَلأٌ مِّن قَوْمِهِ سَخِرُواْ مِنْهُ قَالَ إِن تَسْخَرُواْ مِنَّا فَإِنَّا نَسْخَرُ مِنكُمْ كَمَا تَسْخَرُونَ
WayasnaAAu alfulka wakullama marra AAalayhi malaon min qawmihi sakhiroo minhu qala in taskharoo minna fa-inna naskharu minkum kama taskharoona
YUSUFALI: Forthwith he (starts) constructing the Ark: Every time that the chiefs of his people passed by him, they threw ridicule on him. He said: “If ye ridicule us now, we (in our turn) can look down on you with ridicule likewise!
PICKTHAL: And he was building the ship, and every time that chieftains of his people passed him, they made mock of him. He said: Though ye make mock of Us, yet We mock at you even as ye mock;
SHAKIR: And he began to make the ark; and whenever the chiefs from among his people passed by him they laughed at him. He said: If you laugh at us, surely we too laugh at you as you laugh (at us).
KHALIFA: While he was building the ark, whenever some of his people passed by him they laughed at him. He said, “You may be laughing at us, but we are laughing at you, just as you are laughing.