Yusuf Ali
When some of them said: "Why do ye preach to a people whom Allah will destroy or visit with a terrible punishment?"- said the preachers:" To discharge our duty to your Lord, and perchance they may fear Him."

Sahih International
And when a community among them said, "Why do you advise [or warn] a people whom Allah is [about] to destroy or to punish with a severe punishment?" they [the advisors] said, "To be absolved before your Lord and perhaps they may fear Him."

Shakir
And when a party of them said: Why do you admonish a with a severe chastisement? They said: To be free from blame before your Lord, and that haply they may guard (against evil).

Pickthall
And when a community among them said: Why preach ye to a folk whom Allah is about to destroy or punish with an awful doom, they said: In order to be free from guilt before your Lord, and that haply they may ward off (evil).

محمد جالندھری
اور جب ان میں سے ایک جماعت نے کہا کہ تم ایسے لوگوں کو کیوں نصیحت کرتے ہو جن کو الله ہلاک کرنے والا یا سخت عذاب دینے والا ہے تو انہوں نے کہا اس لیے کہ تمہارے پروردگار کے سامنے معذرت کرسکیں اور عجب نہیں کہ وہ پرہیزگاری اختیار کریں