THE FIRST STONE: A ballad--award winner

THE FIRST STONE—a ballad

Let us not judge others’ sins,
So that they don’t judge our own.
None is worthy on this earth
That he may throw the first stone.

Once there came to the temple
Where Jesus gave a sermon,
Scribes and Pharisees, who brought
With them a troubled woman.

“Stone her to death, she is a
Sinner too adulterous.
Moses so ruled.” They said in
A manner contemptuous.

Let us not judge others’ sins,
So, others don’t judge our own.
None is worthy on this earth
That he may throw the first stone.

They were testing Jesus who
In a glance saw through their game.
He thought how to save her and
Also bring those men to shame.

He said: “The law of Moses
Is certainly sacred, though,
Only the sinless in you
Should come and the first stone throw”.

Let us not judge others’ sins,
So, others don’t judge our own.
None is worthy on this earth
That he may throw the first stone.

But all of them were in sin;
Sinless amongst them was none.
Each of them felt ashamed and
They went away…. one by one.

There was none to challenge the
Truth that they had just been shown.
The hapless woman was by
Gentle Jesus left alone.

Let us not judge others’ sins,
So, others don’t judge our own.
None is worthy on this earth
That he may throw the first stone.


* Written in abcb, 7-7-7-7 format
* Awarded honourable mention prize in the contest "Invalid Item" .
* Awarded Third place and a Poetry Merit badge in the contest “Heaven in 2007” , item 1172300, now deleted
*SCRIBES were men who made in hand the copies of scriptures, as there was no printing press in those days. Thus, they had the reputation of knowing the scriptures [at that time, the Law of Moses, the word of God], i.e., the Old Testament.
*PHARISEES comprised the strictest sect of the Jewish religion, men who were most concerned about preserving the law of Moses
* It is obvious that both scribes and Pharisees knew the law of Moses very well but they used to bring tricky questions to Jesus in the hope that he would give judgment against the law laid down by Moses and thus they would be able to discredit him and wean away his followers.


M C Gupta
6 September 2003