The Woman Caught in Adultery

8 Then everyone went home, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ² Early the next morning he went back to the Temple. All the people gathered around him, and he sat down and began to teach them. ³ The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught committing adultery, and they made her stand before them all. ⁴ “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. ^5 (A)In our Law Moses commanded that such a woman must be stoned to death. Now, what do you say?” ⁶ They said this to trap Jesus, so that they could accuse him. But he bent over and wrote on the ground with his finger. ^7 (B)As they stood there asking him questions, he straightened up and said to them, “Whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone at her.” ⁸ Then he bent over again and wrote on the ground. ⁹ When they heard this, they all left, one by one, the older ones first. Jesus was left alone, with the woman still standing there. ¹⁰ He straightened up and said to her, “Where are they? Is there no one left to condemn you?”

¹¹ “No one, sir,” she answered.

“Well, then,” Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, but do not sin again.”]^[a]