John 8:2-12

Christian Standard Bible

An Adulteress Forgiven

² At dawn he went to the temple^(A) again, and all the people were coming to him.^(B) He sat down^(C) and began to teach them.

³ Then the scribes and the Pharisees^(D) brought a woman caught in adultery,^(E) making her stand in the center. ⁴ “Teacher,” they said to him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery.^{(F) 5} In the law Moses^(G) commanded us to stone such women.^(H) So what do you say?” ⁶ They asked this to trap him,^(I) in order that they might have evidence to accuse him.

Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with his finger. ⁷ When they persisted in questioning him, he stood up and said to them, “The one without sin^(J) among you^(K) should be the first to throw a stone at her.”^{(L) 8} Then he stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. ⁹ 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,”^[a] she answered.

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

The Light of the World

¹² Jesus spoke to them again: “I am^(N) the light^(O) of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”^(P)