Those who came with the slander are a band of you; do not reckon it evil for you; rather it is good for you. Every man of them shall have the sin that he has earned charged to him; and whosoever of them took upon himself the greater part of it, him there awaits a mighty chastisement. 11 Why did not the believers, men and women, when ye heard it, think good of their own own folk, and say: It is a manifest untruth? 12 Why did they not produce four witnesses? If they could not produce any witnesses, they were indeed liars in the sight of God! 13 But for the bounty of Allah and His Mercy towards you in this life and in the Everlasting Life you would have been sternly punished for that which you were involved. 14 When you were propagating it with your tongues, and uttering with your mouths that whereof you had no knowledge, you counted it a little thing, while with Allah it was very great. 15 And [once again]: Why do you not say, whenever you hear such [a rumour,] "It does not behove us to speak of this, O Thou who art limitless in Thy glory: this is an awesome calumny"? 16 God admonishes you, that you shall never repeat the like of it again; if you are believers. 17 And Allah clearly explains the verses for you; and Allah is All Knowing, Wise. 18 Indeed, those who like that immorality should be spread [or publicized] among those who have believed will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And Allah knows and you do not know. 19 Had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy unto you, and that Allah is Clement, Merciful, (ye had been undone). 20