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 Would that they had brought four witnesses to testify to their report. Since they brought none, they are liars before God. 13 Had it not been for the grace of God and His mercy on you in this world and the Hereafter, a terrible punishment would have afflicted you for your plunging headlong into slander. 14 When you rumoured with your tongues after hearing such matters, and uttered with your mouths about which you had no knowledge, and you considered it light; and that, in the sight of Allah, is very great. 15 And why, when you heard it, did you not say, "It is not for us to speak of this. Exalted are You, [O Allah]; this is a great slander"? 16 Allah forbids you from it and warns you not to repeat the like of it forever, if you are believers. 17 God explains to you His revelations. He is All-knowing and 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 If it was not for the bounty of Allah to you and His Mercy, and Allah is the Gentle, the Most Merciful. 20