Surah Ghafir, ayah 78: "And We have already sent messengers before you. Among them are those [whose stories] We have related to you, and among them are those [whose stories] We have not..." Read it in Arabic with transliteration and the Sahih International translation, with the ayah before and after it, and listen to it recited.
فَٱصْبِرْ إِنَّ وَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقٌّۭ ۚ فَإِمَّا نُرِيَنَّكَ بَعْضَ ٱلَّذِى نَعِدُهُمْ أَوْ نَتَوَفَّيَنَّكَ فَإِلَيْنَا يُرْجَعُونَ ﴿٧٧﴾
Fasbir inna wa'dal laahi haqq; fa immaa nuriyannak ba'dal lazee na'i duhum aw natawaffayannaka fa ilainaa yurja'oon
So be patient, [O Muhammad]; indeed, the promise of Allah is truth. And whether We show you some of what We have promised them or We take you in death, it is to Us they will be returned.
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلًۭا مِّن قَبْلِكَ مِنْهُم مَّن قَصَصْنَا عَلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُم مَّن لَّمْ نَقْصُصْ عَلَيْكَ ۗ وَمَا كَانَ لِرَسُولٍ أَن يَأْتِىَ بِـَٔايَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَمْرُ ٱللَّهِ قُضِىَ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَخَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ ٱلْمُبْطِلُونَ ﴿٧٨﴾
Wa laqad arsalnaa Rusulam min qablika minhum man qasasnaa 'alaika wa minhum mal lam naqsus 'alaik; wa maa kaana li Rasoolin any yaatiya bi Aayatin illaa bi iznil laah; fa izaa jaaa'a amrul laahi qudiya bilhaqqi wa khasira hunaalikal mubtiloon
And We have already sent messengers before you. Among them are those [whose stories] We have related to you, and among them are those [whose stories] We have not related to you. And it was not for any messenger to bring a sign [or verse] except by permission of Allah. So when the command of Allah comes, it will be concluded in truth, and the falsifiers will thereupon lose [all].
ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلْأَنْعَٰمَ لِتَرْكَبُوا۟ مِنْهَا وَمِنْهَا تَأْكُلُونَ ﴿٧٩﴾
Allaahul lazee ja'ala lakumul an'aama litarkaboo minhaa wa minhaa taakuloon
It is Allah who made for you the grazing animals upon which you ride, and some of them you eat.
Arabic: Tanzil, Uthmani script. English: Sahih International. Audio: EveryAyah. Transliteration is a learning aid; read from the Arabic when you can.
Meaning and lessons
Allah tells the Prophet ﷺ that He sent messengers before him, and told him the stories of some and not of others. No messenger could bring a sign except by Allah's permission, and when Allah's command comes the matter is judged with truth, and those who followed falsehood lose.
Ibn Kathir explains that the Quran names some 25 prophets, and that there were many more whom it does not name. He mentions a narration of Abu Dharr giving their number, and points out that its chain has been criticised. The ayah also answers those who demanded miracles on request: signs come by Allah's will, not on demand.
Summarised in our own words from Tafsir Ibn Kathir, on Quran 40:78. Translation of the ayah: Sahih International.
Ayah 78 of Surah Ghafir (غَافِرٍ), "The Forgiver", surah 40 of the Quran, a Meccan surah of 85 ayat revealed in Makkah. It is in juz 24 (para 24), hizb 48, on page 476 of the standard Madinah mushaf. People search for it as 40/78, 40 78 or Quran 40 78.
Questions
And We have already sent messengers before you. Among them are those [whose stories] We have related to you, and among them are those [whose stories] We have not related to you. And it was not for any messenger to bring a sign [or verse] except by permission of Allah. So when the command of Allah comes, it will be concluded in truth, and the falsifiers will thereupon lose [all]. (Sahih International)
Allah tells the Prophet ﷺ that He sent messengers before him, and told him the stories of some and not of others. No messenger could bring a sign except by Allah's permission, and when Allah's command comes the matter is judged with truth, and those who followed falsehood lose.
It is in Surah Ghafir, surah 40 of the Quran, in juz 24 (para 24), on page 476 of the Madinah mushaf.
The ayah before, 40:77, says: "So be patient, [O Muhammad]; indeed, the promise of Allah is truth. And whether We show you some of what We have promised them or We take you in death, it is to Us they will be returned." The ayah after, 40:79, says: "It is Allah who made for you the grazing animals upon which you ride, and some of them you eat."