Did they not see that it could not return to them any (20:89)

﴿أَفَلَا يَرَوْنَ أَلَّا يَرْجِعُ إِلَيْهِمْ قَوْلًا وَلَا يَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ ضَرًّا وَلَا نَفْعًا﴾
[ طه: 89]

20:89 Did they not see that it could not return to them any speech and that it did not possess for them any harm or benefit?

Do these people who were tempted by the calf and then worshipped it not see that the calf does not speak or respond to them, nor does it have the ability to remove harm from them or others or bring benefit for itself or others?

Did they not see that it could not return them a word (for answer), and that it had no power either to harm them or to do them good?

phonetic Transliteration

Afala yarawna alla yarjiAAu ilayhim qawlan wala yamliku lahum darran wala nafAAan

Abdullah Yusuf Ali - Translation

Could they not see that it could not return them a word (for answer), and that it had no power either to harm them or to do them good?

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Did they not see that it could not return them a word (for answer), and that it had no power either to harm them or to do them good

Page 318 English transliteration