52 They answered and said to him, “(A)You are not from Galilee as well, are you? Examine the Scriptures, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.” 53 [[[a]And everyone went to his home.

The Adulterous Woman

But Jesus went to (B)the Mount of Olives. And early in the morning He came again into the temple area, and all the people were coming to Him; and (C)He sat down and began teaching them. Now the scribes and the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in the act of adultery, and after placing her in the center of the courtyard, they *said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the Law, (D)Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” Now they were saying this to (E)test Him, (F)so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. When they persisted in asking Him, (G)He straightened up and said to them, (H)He who is without sin among you, let him be the (I)first to throw a stone at her.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Now when they heard this, they began leaving, one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman where she was, in the center of the courtyard. 10 And (J)straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She said, “No one, [b]Lord.” And Jesus said, (K)I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on do not (L)sin any longer.”]]

Footnotes

  1. John 7:53 Later mss add the story of the adulterous woman, numbering it as John 7:53-8:11
  2. John 8:11 Or Sir

52 “You aren’t from Galilee(A) too, are you?” they replied. “Investigate and you will see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”[a](B)

[53 So each one went to his house. But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.(C)

An Adulteress Forgiven

At dawn He went to the temple complex(D) again, and all the people were coming to Him.(E) He sat down(F) and began to teach them.

Then the scribes and the Pharisees(G) brought a woman caught in adultery,(H) making her stand in the center. “Teacher,” they said to Him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery.(I) In the law Moses(J) commanded us to stone such women.(K) So what do You say?” They asked this to trap Him,(L) 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(M) among you(N) should be the first to throw a stone at her.”(O)

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,”(P) said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”][c]

Footnotes

  1. John 7:52 Jonah and probably other prophets did come from Galilee; 2Kg 14:25
  2. John 8:11 Or Sir; Jn 4:15,49; 5:7; 6:34; 9:36
  3. John 8:11 Other mss omit bracketed text

52 They answered and said to him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for (A)no prophet [a]has arisen out of Galilee.”

An Adulteress Faces the Light of the World

53 [b]And everyone went to his own house.

Jesus the Light of the World

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

Now [c]early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and (B)taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, [d]this woman was caught in (C)adultery, in the very act. (D)Now [e]Moses, in the law, commanded us [f]that such should be stoned. But what do You [g]say?” This they said, testing Him, that they (E)might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, [h]as though He did not hear.

So when they continued asking Him, He [i]raised Himself up and said to them, (F)“He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, (G)being[j] convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up [k]and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers [l]of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

11 She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said to her, (H)“Neither do I condemn you; go [m]and (I)sin no more.”

Footnotes

  1. John 7:52 NU is to rise
  2. John 7:53 NU brackets 7:53 through 8:11 as not in the original text. They are present in over 900 mss. of John.
  3. John 8:2 M very early
  4. John 8:4 M we found this woman
  5. John 8:5 M in our law Moses commanded
  6. John 8:5 NU, M to stone such
  7. John 8:5 M adds about her
  8. John 8:6 NU, M omit as though He did not hear
  9. John 8:7 M He looked up
  10. John 8:9 NU, M omit being convicted by their conscience
  11. John 8:10 NU omits and saw no one but the woman; M He saw her and said,
  12. John 8:10 NU, M omit of yours
  13. John 8:11 NU, M add from now on

52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself—no prophet ever comes[a] from Galilee!”


[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.”

Footnotes

  1. 7:52 Some manuscripts read the prophet does not come.

52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”(A)


[The earliest manuscripts and many other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53—8:11. A few manuscripts include these verses, wholly or in part, after John 7:36, John 21:25, Luke 21:38 or Luke 24:53.]

53 Then they all went home, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.(B)

At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.(C) The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women.(D) Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap,(E) in order to have a basis for accusing him.(F)

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone(G) at her.”(H) Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,”(I) Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”(J)