John 9
Jesus Gives Sight to a Blind Man
1 As Jesus walked along, he saw a man who had been born blind.
2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, why was this man born blind? Did he or his parents sin?”
3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned. Instead, he was born blind so that God could show what he can do for him.4 We must do what the one who sent me wants us to do while it is day. The night when no one can do anything is coming.
5 As long as I’m in the world, I’m light for the world.”
6 After Jesus said this, he spit on the ground and mixed the spit with dirt. Then he smeared it on the man’s eyes
7 and told him, “Wash it off in the pool of Siloam.” ( Siloam means “sent.”) The blind man washed it off and returned. He was able to see.
8 His neighbors and those who had previously seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?”9 Some of them said, “He’s the one.” Others said, “No, he isn’t, but he looks like him.” But the man himself said, “I am the one.”10 So they asked him, “How did you receive your sight?”11 He replied, “The man people call Jesus mixed some spit with dirt, smeared it on my eyes, and told me, ‘Go to Siloam, and wash it off.’ So I went there, washed it off, and received my sight.”12 They asked him, “Where is that man?”The man answered, “I don’t know.”13 Some people brought the man who had been blind to the Pharisees.14 The day when Jesus mixed the spit and dirt and gave the man sight was a day of worship.
15 So the Pharisees asked the man again how he received his sight.
The man told the Pharisees, “He put a mixture of spit and dirt on my eyes. I washed it off, and now I can see.”16 Some of the Pharisees said, “The man who did this is not from God because he doesn’t follow the traditions for the day of worship.” Other Pharisees asked, “How can a man who is a sinner perform miracles like these?” So the Pharisees were divided in their opinions.17 They asked the man who had been born blind another question: “What do you say about the man who gave you sight?”The man answered, “He’s a prophet.”18 Until they talked to the man’s parents, the Jews didn’t believe that the man had been blind and had been given sight.
19 They asked his parents, “Is this your son, the one you say was born blind? Why can he see now?”
20 His parents replied, “We know that he’s our son and that he was born blind.21 But we don’t know how he got his sight or who gave it to him. You’ll have to ask him. He’s old enough to answer for himself.”22 (His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews. The Jews had already agreed to put anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ out of the synagogue.
23 That’s why his parents said, “You’ll have to ask him. He’s old enough.”)
24 So once again the Jews called the man who had been blind. They told him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man who gave you sight is a sinner.”25 The man responded, “I don’t know if he’s a sinner or not. But I do know one thing. I used to be blind, but now I can see.”26 The Jews asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he give you sight?”27 The man replied, “I’ve already told you, but you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear the story again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”28 The Jews yelled at him, “You’re his disciple, but we’re Moses’ disciples.
29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but we don’t know where this man came from.”
30 The man replied to them, “That’s amazing! You don’t know where he’s from. Yet, he gave me sight.31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners. Instead, he listens to people who are devout and who do what he wants.32 Since the beginning of time, no one has ever heard of anyone giving sight to a person born blind.
33 If this man were not from God, he couldn’t do anything like that.”
34 The Jews answered him, “You were born full of sin. Do you think you can teach us?” Then they threw him out of the synagogue.35 Jesus heard that the Jews had thrown the man out of the synagogue. So when Jesus found the man, he asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”36 The man replied, “Sir, tell me who he is so that I can believe in him.”37 Jesus told him, “You’ve seen him. He is the person who is now talking with you.”38 The man bowed in front of Jesus and said, “I believe, Lord.”39 Then Jesus said, “I have come into this world to judge: Blind people will be given sight, and those who can see will become blind.”40 Some Pharisees who were with Jesus heard this. So they asked him, “Do you think we’re blind?”41 Jesus told them, “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be sinners. But now you say, ‘We see,’ so you continue to be sinners.
John 9
Healing a Man Born Blind
1 Now as Jesus was passing by,ts he saw a man who had been blind from birth.2 His disciples asked him,t “Rabbi, who committed the sin that caused him to be born blind, this mant or his parents?”ts3 Jesus answered, “Neither this mant nor his parents sinned, but he was born blind so thatt the actst of God may be revealedt through what happens to him.t4 We must perform the deedst of the one who sent met as long ast it is daytime. Night is coming when no one can work.5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”s6 Having said this,t he spat on the ground and made some mudt with the saliva. Het smeared the mud on the blind man’st eyes
7 and said to him, “Go wash in the pool of Siloam”t (which is translated “sent”).s So the blind mant went away and washed, and came back seeing.
8 Then the neighbors and the people who had seen him previouslyt as a beggar began saying,t “Is this not the mant who used to sit and beg?”9 Some people said,t “This is the man!”t while others said, “No, but he looks like him.”t The man himselft kept insisting, “I am the one!”t10 So they asked him,t “How then were you made to see?”t11 He replied,t “The man called Jesus made mud,t smeared itt on my eyes and told me,t ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and was able to see.”t
12 They saidt to him, “Where is that man?”t He replied,t “I don’t know.”
The Pharisees’ Reaction to the Healing
13 They brought the man who used to be blindt to the Pharisees.s14 (Now the day on which Jesus made the mudt and caused him to seet was a Sabbath.)s
15 So the Pharisees asked him again how he had gained his sight.ts He replied,t “He put mudt on my eyes and I washed, and nowt I am able to see.”
16 Then some of the Pharisees began to say,t “This man is not from God, because he does not observet the Sabbath.”s But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner performt such miraculous signs?” Thus there was a divisiont among them.
17 So again they asked the man who used to be blind,t “What do you say about him, since he caused you to see?”t “He is a prophet,” the man replied.ts
18 Now the Jewish religious leaderst refused to believet that he had really been blind and had gained his sight until at last they summonedt the parents of the man who had become able to see.t19 They asked the parents,t “Is this your son, whom you sayt was born blind? Then how does he now see?”20 So his parents replied,t “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.21 But we do not know how he is now able to see, nor do we know who caused him to see.t Ask him, he is a mature adult.t He will speak for himself.”22 (His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jewish religious leaders.t For the Jewish leaders had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesust to be the Christts would be put outt of the synagogue.s
23 For this reason his parents said, “He is a mature adult,t ask him.”)s
24 Then they summonedt the man who used to be blindt a second time and said to him, “Promise before God to tell the truth.t We know that this mant is a sinner.”25 He replied,t “I do not know whether he is a sinner. I do know one thing – that although I was blind, now I can see.”26 Then they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he cause you to see?”t
27 He answered,t “I told you already and you didn’t listen.t Why do you want to hear itt again? You peoplet don’t want to become his disciples too, do you?”
28 Theyt heaped insultst on him, saying,t “You are his disciple!t We are disciples of Moses!29 We know that God has spoken to Moses! We do not know where this mant comes from!”30 The man replied,t “This is a remarkable thing,t that you don’t know where he comes from, and yet he caused me to see!t31 We know that God doesn’t listen tot sinners, but if anyone is devoutt and does his will, Godt listens tot him.t32 Never beforet has anyone heard of someone causing a man born blind to see.t33 If this mant were not from God, he could do nothing.”
34 They replied,t “You were born completely in sinfulness,t and yet you presume to teach us?”t So they threw him out.
The Man’s Response to Jesus
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, so he found the mant and said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”s36 The mant replied,t “And who is he, sir, thatt I may believe in him?”37 Jesus told him, “You have seen him; het is the one speaking with you.”t [38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.ss
39 Jesust said,]s “For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may gain their sight,t and the ones who see may become blind.”
40 Some of the Phariseess who were with him heard thist and asked him,t “We are not blind too, are we?”t
41 Jesus replied,t “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin,t but now because you claim that you can see,t your guiltt remains.”s