those who came with the slander were a number of you. Do not regard it evil for you, rather it is good for you. Every person of them shall have the sin that he has earned charged to him. As for he who took upon himself the greater part there is a mightier punishment. 11 Why, when you heard it, did not the believing men and believing women think good of one another and say, "This is an obvious falsehood"? 12 Why did they not bring four witnesses against it? But since they did not bring the witnesses, in God's sight they are the liars. 13 But for God's bounty to you and His mercy in the present world and the world to come there would have visited you for your mutterings a mighty chastisement. 14 When you were spreading it with your tongues and saying with your mouths things of which you had no knowledge, you considered it to be a trivial matter, but, in God's sight, it was very serious. 15 And wherefore, when ye heard it, did ye not say: it is not for us to speak thereof, hallowed be Thou! that is a slander mighty! 16 Allah doth admonish you, that ye may never repeat such (conduct), if ye are (true) Believers. 17 Allah makes His Revelations clear to you, and He is All-Knowing, All-Wise. 18 Verily, those who like that (the crime of) illegal sexual intercourse should be propagated among those who believe, they will have a painful torment in this world and in the Hereafter. And Allah knows and you know not. 19 But for the grace of God and His mercy (much harm would have been done); yet God is compassionate and kind. 20