John 9

1 And as he passed on, he saw a man blind from birth.

As Jesus passed by, he saw a man who had been blind from his birth.

2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned, this [man] or his parents, that he should be born blind?

‘Rabbi,’ asked his disciples, ‘who was it that sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’

3 Jesus answered, Neither has this [man] sinned nor his parents, but that the works of God should be manifested in him.

‘Neither the man nor the parents,’ replied Jesus, ‘but he was born blind so that the work of God should be made plain in him.

4 I must work the works of him that has sent me while it is day. [The] night is coming, when no one can work.

We must do the work of him who sent me, while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.

5 As long as I am in the world, I am [the] light of the world.

As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’

6 Having said these things, he spat on the ground and made mud of the spittle, and put the mud, as ointment, on his eyes.

Saying this, Jesus spat on the ground, made some paste with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.

7 And he said to him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, which is interpreted, Sent. He went therefore and washed, and came seeing.

‘Go,’ he said, ‘and wash your eyes in the Bath of Siloam’ (a word which means “messenger”). So the man went and washed his eyes, and returned able to see.

8 The neighbours therefore, and those who used to see him before, that he was a beggar, said, Is not this he that was sitting and begging?

His neighbours, and those who had formerly known him by sight as a beggar, exclaimed, ‘Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?’

9 Some said, It is he; others said, No, but he is like him: he said, It is I.

‘Yes,’ some said, ‘it is’; while others said, ‘No, but he is like him.’ The man himself said, ‘I am he.’

10 They said therefore to him, How have thine eyes been opened?

‘How did you get your sight, then?’ they asked.

11 He answered [and said], A man called Jesus made mud and anointed mine eyes, and said to me, Go to Siloam and wash: and having gone and washed, I saw.

‘The man whom they call Jesus,’ he answered, ‘made a paste, and anointed my eyes, and said to me “Go to Siloam and wash your eyes.” So I went and washed my eyes, and gained my sight.’

12 They said therefore to him, Where is he? He says, I do not know.

‘Where is he?’ they asked. ‘I do not know,’ he answered.

13 They bring him who was before blind to the Pharisees.

They took the man, who had been blind, to the Pharisees.

14 Now it was sabbath when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.

Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the paste and gave him his sight.

15 The Pharisees therefore also again asked him how he received his sight. And he said to them, He put mud upon mine eyes, and I washed, and I see.

So the Pharisees also questioned the man as to how he had gained his sight. ‘He put a paste on my eyes,’ he answered, ‘and I washed them, and I can see.’

16 Some of the Pharisees therefore said, This man is not of God, for he does not keep the sabbath. Others said, How can a sinful man perform such signs? And there was a division among them.

‘The man cannot be from God,’ said some of the Pharisees, ‘for he does not keep the Sabbath.’ ‘How is it possible,’ retorted others, ‘for a bad man to give signs like this?’

17 They say therefore again to the blind [man], What dost thou say of him, that he has opened thine eyes? And he said, He is a prophet.

So there was a difference of opinion among them, and they again questioned the man. ‘What do you yourself say about him, for it is to you that he has given sight?’

18 The Jews therefore did not believe concerning him that he was blind and had received sight, until they had called the parents of him that had received sight.

The religious authorities, however, refused to believe that he had been blind and had gained his sight, until they had called his parents and questioned them.

19 And they asked them saying, This is your son, of whom ye say that he was born blind: how then does he now see?

‘Is this your son,’ they asked, ‘who you say was born blind? If so, how is it that he can see now?’

20 His parents answered [them] and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

‘We know that this is our son,’ answered the parents, ‘and that he was born blind;

21 but how he now sees we do not know, or who has opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age: ask him; he will speak concerning himself.

but how it is that he can see now we do not know; nor do we know who it was that gave him his sight. Ask him – he is old enough – he will tell you about himself.’

22 His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if any one confessed him [to be the] Christ, he should be excommunicated from the synagogue.

His parents spoke in this way because they were afraid of the authorities; for the authorities had already agreed that, if anyone should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ, he should be expelled from their synagogues.

23 On this account his parents said, He is of age: ask him.

This was why his parents said “He is old enough; ask him.”

24 They called therefore a second time the man who had been blind, and said to him, Give glory to God: we know that this man is sinful.

So the authorities again called the man who had been blind, and said to him, ‘Give God the praise; we know that this is a bad man.’

25 He answered therefore, If he is sinful I know not. One thing I know, that, being blind [before], now I see.

‘I know nothing about his being a bad man,’ he replied. ‘One thing I do know, that although I was blind, now I can see.’

26 And they said to him again, What did he do to thee? how opened he thine eyes?

‘What did he do to you?’ they asked. ‘How did he give you your sight?’

27 He answered them, I told you already and ye did not hear: why do ye desire to hear again? do ye also wish to become his disciples?

‘I told you just now,’ he answered, ‘and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Surely you also do not want to become his disciples?’

28 They railed at him, and said, Thou art his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.

‘You are his disciple,’ they retorted scornfully. ‘But we are disciples of Moses.

29 We know that God spoke to Moses; but [as to] this [man], we know not whence he is.

We know that God spoke to Moses; but, as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.’

30 The man answered and said to them, Now in this is a wonderful thing, that ye do not know whence he is, and he has opened mine eyes.

‘Well,’ the man replied, ‘this is very strange; you do not know where he comes from, and yet he has given me my sight!

31 [But] we know that God does not hear sinners; but if any one be God-fearing and do his will, him he hears.

We know that God never listens to bad people, but, when a person is god-fearing and does God’s will, God listens to them.

32 Since time was, it has not been heard that any one opened the eyes of one born blind. (aiōn g165)

Since the world began, such a thing was never heard of as anyone’s giving sight to a person born blind. (aiōn g165)

33 If this [man] were not of God he would be able to do nothing.

If this man had not been from God, he could not have done anything at all.’

34 They answered and said to him, Thou hast been wholly born in sins, and thou teachest us? And they cast him out.

‘You,’ they retorted, ‘were born totally depraved; and are you trying to teach us?’ So they expelled him.

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him, he said to him, Thou, dost thou believe on the Son of God?

Jesus heard of their having put him out; and, when he had found the man, he asked, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’

36 He answered and said, And who is he, Lord, that I may believe on him?

‘Tell me who he is, Sir,’ he replied, ‘so that I may believe in him.’

37 And Jesus said to him, Thou hast both seen him, and he that speaks with thee is he.

‘Not only have you seen him,’ said Jesus, ‘but it is he who is now speaking to you.’

38 And he said, I believe, Lord: and he did him homage.

‘Then, Sir, I do believe,’ said the man, bowing to the ground before him;

39 And Jesus said, For judgment am I come into this world, that they which see not may see, and they which see may become blind.

and Jesus added, ‘It was to put people to the test that I came into this world, in order that those that cannot see should see, and that those that can see should become blind.’

40 And [some] of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and they said to him, Are we blind also?

Hearing this, some of the Pharisees who were with him said, ‘Then are we blind too?’

41 Jesus said to them, If ye were blind ye would not have sin; but now ye say, We see, your sin remains.

‘If you had been blind,’ replied Jesus, ‘you would have had no sin to answer for; but, as it is, you say “We can see,” and so your sin remains.