John 9

Chapter 9

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

1 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth.

2 “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”
3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.4 We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us.t The night is coming, and then no one can work.

5 But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes.

7 He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!
8 His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?”

9 Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!”
But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!”

10 They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?”

11 He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!”

12 “Where is he now?” they asked.
“I don’t know,” he replied.
13 Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees,14 because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him.

15 The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!”

16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them.

17 Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?”
The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.”
18 The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents.

19 They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?”
20 His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind,21 but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.”22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue.

23 That’s why they said, “He is old enough. Ask him.”

24 So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this,t because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.”

25 “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”

26 “But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?”

27 “Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”
28 Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses!

29 We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.”
30 “Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from?31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will.32 Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind.

33 If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.”

34 “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue.

Spiritual Blindness

35 When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?t”

36 The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.”

37 “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!”

38 “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.

39 Then Jesus told him,t “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they seet that they are blind.”

40 Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?”

41 “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.

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