Add parallel Print Page Options


[The most ancient Greek manuscripts do not include John 7:53–8:11.]

53 Then the meeting broke up, and everybody went home.

A Woman Caught in Adultery

Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

11 “No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

[The earliest manuscripts do not include 7:53–8:11.][a]

The Woman Caught in Adultery

53 [[They went each to his own house, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. (A)Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and (B)he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now (C)in the Law, Moses commanded us (D)to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said (E)to test him, (F)that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, (G)“Let him who is without sin among you (H)be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, (I)“Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on (J)sin no more.”]]

Footnotes

  1. John 7:53 Some manuscripts do not include 7:53–8:11; others add the passage here or after 7:36 or after 21:25 or after Luke 21:38, with variations in the text

[The earliest mss do not include 7:53–8:11.]

[53 Then each one went to his house.[a] But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.(A)

An Adulteress Forgiven

At dawn he went to the temple(B) again, and all the people were coming to him.(C) He sat down(D) and began to teach them.

Then the scribes and the Pharisees(E) brought a woman caught in adultery,(F) making her stand in the center. “Teacher,” they said to him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery.(G) In the law Moses(H) commanded us to stone such women.(I) So what do you say?” They asked this to trap him,(J) in order that they might have evidence to accuse him.

Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with his finger. When they persisted in questioning him, he stood up and said to them, “The one without sin(K) among you(L) should be the first to throw a stone at her.”(M) Then he stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only he was left, with the woman in the center. 10 When Jesus stood up, he said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, Lord,”[b] she answered.

“Neither do I condemn you,”(N) said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”]

Footnotes

  1. 7:53–8:11 Other mss include all or some of the passage after Jn 7:36,44,52; 21:25; or Lk 21:38.
  2. 8:11 Or Sir; Jn 4:15,49; 5:7; 6:34; 9:36