John 9

1 And as Iesus passed by, he sawe a man which was blinde from his birth.

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

2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sinne, this man, or his parents, that he was borne blinde?

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

3 Iesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the workes of God should be shewed on 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 worke the workes of him that sent me, while it is day: the night commeth when no man can worke.

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 Assoone as he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spettle, and anointed the eyes of the blinde with the clay,

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

7 And sayd vnto him, Go wash in the poole of Siloam (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came againe 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 Nowe the neighbours and they that had seene him before, when he was blinde, sayd, Is not this he that sate and begged?

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, This is he: and other sayd, He is like him: but he himselfe sayd, I am he.

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

10 Therefore they sayd vnto him, Howe were thine eyes opened?

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

11 He answered, and sayd, The man that is called Iesus, made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and sayde vnto me, Goe to the poole of Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and receiued sight.

‘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 Then they sayd vnto him, Where is he? He sayd, I can not tell.

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

13 They brought to the Pharises him that was once blinde.

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

14 And it was the Sabbath day, when Iesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.

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

15 Then againe the Pharises also asked him, how he had receiued sight. And hee sayd vnto them, He layd clay vpon mine eyes, and I washed, and doe 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 Then said some of the Pharises, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the Sabbath day. Others sayd, Howe can a man that is a sinner, doe such miracles? and there was a dissension 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 Then spake they vnto the blinde againe, What sayest thou of him, because he hath opened thine eyes? And he sayd, 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 Then the Iewes did not beleeue him (that he had bene blinde, and receiued his sight) vntill they had called the parents of him that had receiued 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, Is this your sonne, whom ye say was borne blinde? How doeth he nowe see then?

‘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 sayd, We know that this is our sonne, and that he was borne blinde:

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

21 But by what meanes hee nowe seeth, we know not: or who hath opened his eyes, can we not tell: he is olde ynough: aske him: hee shall answere for himselfe.

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 These wordes spake his parents, because they feared the Iewes: for the Iewes had ordeined already, that if any man did confesse that he was Christ, he should be excommunicate out of 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 Therefore sayde his parents, Hee is olde ynough: aske him.

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

24 Then againe called they the man that had bene blinde, and sayd vnto him, Giue glory vnto God: we know that this man is a sinner.

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 Then he answered, and sayd, Whether hee be a sinner or no, I can not tell: one thing I know, that I was blinde, and nowe 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 Then sayd they to him againe, What did he to thee? howe opened he thine eyes?

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

27 Hee answered them, I haue tolde you already, and yee haue not heard it: wherefore would yee heare it againe? will yee also be 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 Then reuiled they him, and sayd, Be thou his disciple: we be Moses disciples.

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

29 We know that God spake with Moses: but this man we know not from 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 sayde vnto them, Doutlesse, this is a marueilous thing, that ye know not whence he is, and yet he hath 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 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him heareth he.

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 the world began, was it not heard, that any man opened the eyes of one that was borne blinde. (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, hee could haue done nothing.

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

34 They answered, and sayd vnto him, Thou art altogether borne in sinnes, and doest thou teach vs? so they cast him out.

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

35 Iesus heard that they had cast him out: and when he had found him, he sayd vnto him, Doest thou beleeue in the Sonne 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 sayd, Who is he, Lord, that I might beleeue in him?

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

37 And Iesus sayd vnto him, Both thou hast seene him, and he it is that talketh with thee.

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

38 Then he sayd, Lord, I beleeue, and worshipped him.

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

39 And Iesus sayd, I am come vnto iudgement into this world, that they which see not, might see: and that they which see, might be made blinde.

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 Pharises which were with him, heard these things, and sayd vnto him, Are we blinde also?

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

41 Iesus sayd vnto them, If ye were blinde, ye should not haue sinne: but nowe ye say, We see: therefore your sinne remaineth.

‘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.