8:9a

When they heard this: The pronoun they refers to the people who accused the woman. They heard what Jesus said. In some languages it may be natural to make they or this (or both of them) explicit. For example:

When they heard what he said (Revised English Bible)
-or-
When the men who accused the woman heard Jesus’ words

8:9b

they began to go away: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as began to go away means “began to leave.” The men did not leave all at once but gradually. For example:

the scribes and Pharisees left (God’s Word)

one by one: The phrase one by one means that the accusers left one at a time. They did not all leave as a group. For example:

one at a time (New International Version)

8:9c

beginning with the older ones: This phrase indicates that the older men went away before the younger men. There is a textual issue here:

(1) Some Greek manuscripts say just “beginning with the elders.” For example:

the older ones first (Good News Translation)

(English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, New International Version, Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, NET Bible Bible, New Living Translation (2004), Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition)

(2) Some Greek manuscripts say “beginning with the elders, until the last.” For example:

beginning with the eldest, until the last one had gone (New Jerusalem Bible)

(New Jerusalem Bible, King James Version, New Century Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most English translations.

Here are other ways to translate this phrase

starting with the older ones (NET Bible Bible)
-or-
beginning with the older men (God’s Word)
-or-
beginning with the oldest (New Living Translation (2004))

8:9d

until only Jesus was left, with the woman standing there: This clause here indicates that the accusers had all gone and only Jesus and the woman remained. Probably the crowd that was listening to Jesus teach was still there. In order to avoid a wrong meaning, you may need to leave out only. For example:

leaving Jesus behind with the woman, who stood in front of him
-or-
until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman (New Living Translation (2004))

with the woman standing there: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as there is more literally “in the middle.” The woman was left where the accusers had placed her in front of Jesus and the crowd.

Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

with the woman, who remained in the middle (New Jerusalem Bible)

General Comment on 8:9a–d

This is a complex sentence with several short clauses. In some languages it may be natural to translate it as two shorter sentences. For example:

When they heard this, they all left, the older ones first. Jesus was left alone, with the woman still standing there. (Good News Translation)
-or-
One by one, beginning with the older men, the experts in Moses’ Teachings and Pharisees left. Jesus was left alone with the woman. (God’s Word)

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