John 9
1 As He passed by, He saw a man who had been blind from his birth.
As Jesus walked along [with us], he saw a man who had been blind from the time he was born.
2 So His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned--this man or his parents--that he was born blind?"
We disciples asked him, “Teacher, was this man blind from when he was born because his parents sinned or because he himself sinned?”
3 "Neither he nor his parents sinned," answered Jesus, "but he was born blind in order that God's mercy might be openly shown in him.
Jesus replied, “His being blind was not because he or his parents sinned. Instead, [he has been blind] in order that [people can] see the power of God {the power of God can be seen} as a result of [what will now happen] to him.
4 We must do the works of Him who sent me while there is daylight. Night is coming on, when no one can work.
While there is still time, I must do the work that the one who sent me [wants me to do. Just like daytime is followed by] nighttime when people do not work, [at the end of our lives] [MET] [it is too late for us to do what God wants].
5 When I am in the world, I am the Light of the world."
While I am still [living] in this world, I am the [one who enables people to know about God, like] [MET] [a] light enables the people in [MTY] this world [to see what is in the darkness].”
6 After thus speaking, He spat on the ground, and then, kneading the dust and spittle into clay, He smeared the clay over the man's eyes and said to him,
After he said that, he spat on the ground. He made [a little bit of] mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.
7 "Go and wash in the pool of Siloam" --the name means 'Sent.' So he went and washed his eyes, and returned able to see.
Then he said to him, “Go and wash in Siloam pool!” (That name means ‘sent;’ [just like they sent the water by a channel into the pool, God sent Jesus]). So the man went and washed [in the pool], and when he went home he was able to see!
8 His neighbours, therefore, and the other people to whom he had been a familiar object because he was a beggar, began asking, "Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?"
His neighbors and others who previously had seen him when he was begging said, “He is the man who used to sit here and beg, isn’t he?”
9 "Yes it is," replied some of them. "No it is not," said others, "but he is like him." His own statement was, "I am the man."
Some said, “[Yes], he is.” Others said, “No, [he is not]. It is [just] a man who looks like him!” But the man himself said, “Yes, I am that man!”
10 "How then were your eyes opened?" they asked.
So they said to him, “How is it that now you can see?”
11 "He whose name is Jesus," he answered, "made clay and smeared my eyes with it, and then told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed and obtained sight."
He replied, “The man whose name is Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. Then he told me to go to Siloam [pool] and wash. So I went there and washed, and then I could see.”
12 "Where is he?" they inquired, but the man did not know.
They said to him, “Where is that man [now]?” He said, “I do not know.”
13 They brought him to the Pharisees--the man who had been blind.
They took to the Pharisees the man who was previously blind.
14 Now the day on which Jesus made the clay and opened the man's eyes was the Sabbath.
The day on which Jesus made the mud and enabled the man to see again was a (Sabbath/Jewish day of rest). [The Pharisees considered that healing someone was work, and their rules did not permit people to do any work] ([on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day]).
15 So the Pharisees renewed their questioning as to how he had obtained his sight. "He put clay on my eyes," he replied, "and I washed, and now I can see."
So the Pharisees also asked that man, “How did you become able to see?” He said to them, “The man put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I can see!”
16 This led some of the Pharisees to say, "That man has not come from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." "How is it possible for a bad man to do such miracles?" argued others.
So some of the Pharisees said, “Since this man [Jesus] disobeys [our rules about working] (on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day), he is not from God.” But others said, “If he was a sinner, (he could certainly not do such miracles!/how could he do such miracles?) [RHQ]” So they were divided.
17 And there was a division among them. So again they asked the once blind man, "What is your account of him? --for he opened your eyes." "He is a Prophet," he replied.
So one of them said to the blind man again, “You are the man whom he enabled to see. What do you yourself say about him?” The man said, “[I think] he is a prophet!” [So they told him to go].
18 The Jews, however, did not believe the statement concerning him--that he had been blind and had obtained his sight--until they called his parents and asked them,
The Jewish [leaders] [SYN] still did not believe that the man was blind when he was born, and that he was [now] able to see. So they sent someone to bring the man’s parents.
19 "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How is it then that he can now see?"
[When they got there], one of [the Jewish leaders] asked them, “Is that man your son? Do you say that he was blind when he was born? [If that is true], how is he now able to see?”
20 "We know," replied the parents, "that this is our son and that he was born blind;
His parents replied, “We know that he is our son. We know that he was blind when he was born.
21 but how it is that he can now see or who has opened his eyes we do not know. Ask him himself; he is of full age; he himself will give his own account of it."
But we do not know how he is able to see now. We also do not know who enabled him to see. Ask our son! He is old enough [to answer questions from authorities like you] He can tell you himself!”
22 Such was their answer, because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already settled among themselves that if any one should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ, he should be excluded from the synagogue.
The Jewish [leaders] [SYN] had previously declared that they would prevent anyone who declared that Jesus was the Messiah from [entering] their synagogues. His parents [knew that, so] they were afraid of the Jewish [leaders] [SYN].
23 That was why his parents said, "He is of full age: ask him himself."
That is the reason that they said, “He is old enough [to answer questions], so ask him!”
24 A second time therefore they called the man who had been blind, and said, "Give God the praise: we know that that man is a sinner."
So they sent someone to bring back to them the man who had been blind. [When he got there], the [Jewish leaders] said to him, “Knowing that God [is listening] [IDM], tell the truth! We know that the man who healed you is a sinner.”
25 "Whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know," he replied; "one thing I know--that I was once blind and that now I can see."
He replied, “I do not know if he is a sinner or not. But one thing I do know is that I was blind, but now I can see!”
26 "What did he do to you?" they asked; "how did he open your eyes?"
So they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he enable you to see?”
27 "I have told you already," he replied, "and you did not listen to me. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also mean to be disciples of his?"
He replied, “I told you that already, but you did not [RHQ] pay attention! Why do you want to hear me tell you again? (Do you also want to become his disciples?/You talk as though [IRO] you also want to become his disciples [RHQ]).”
28 Then they railed at him, and said, "You are that man's disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.
Then they insulted him angrily. They said, “You are that man’s disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples!
29 We know that God spoke to Moses; but as for this fellow we do not know where he comes from."
We know that God spoke to Moses; but this man, we do not know where he is from or where he [gets any authority] from!”
30 "Why, this is marvellous!" the man replied; "you do not know where he comes from, and yet he has opened my eyes!
The man replied, “That is very surprising! You [say that] you do not know where he [gets any authority]. But he enabled me to see!
31 We know that God does not listen to bad people, but that if any one is a God-fearing man and obeys Him, to him He listens.
We know that God does not help sinners [who ask God to help them]. Instead, he listens to [and helps] godly people who pray. He listens to people who do what God wants.
32 From the beginning of the world such a thing was never heard of as that any one should open the eyes of a man blind from his birth. (aiōn g165)
No one has ever enabled a man to see who was blind when he was born [like I was]. That has never happened since the world began! (aiōn g165)
33 Had that man not come from God, he could have done nothing."
So if this man had not come from God, he would not be able to do anything [like that]!”
34 "You," they replied, "were wholly begotten and born in sin, and do you teach us?" And they put him out of the synagogue.
They replied to him, “You (were born [as a result of your parents’] sin [EUP]/bastard)! (Do you think you are qualified to teach us?/You are not qualified to teach us!) [RHQ]” Then they threw him out [of the synagogue].
35 Jesus heard that they had done this. So having found him, He asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?"
Jesus heard [people say] that they had thrown that man out. He found the man and said to him, “Do you believe that the one who came down from heaven [is the Messiah]?”
36 "Who is He, Sir?" replied the man. "Tell me, so that I may believe in Him."
The man answered, “Sir, who is he? [Tell me], in order that I may believe in him.”
37 "You have seen Him," said Jesus; "and not only so: He is now speaking to you."
Jesus said to him, “You have seen him. [In fact, it is I], the one who am speaking to you.”
38 "I believe, Sir," he said. And he threw himself at His feet.
The man said, “Lord, I believe that [you are the Messiah]!” Then he [knelt down before] Jesus and worshipped him.
39 "I came into this world," said Jesus, "to judge men, that those who do not see may see, and that those who do see may become blind."
Jesus said, “I have come into this world to judge [the people in the world]. The result will be that [those who realize that they do not know God’s truth will perceive it. That is like] [MET] [enabling] those who are blind to see. But the result will also be that people who [falsely think] [IRO] that [they understand God’s truth will never understand it. That is like] [MET] [people] who are blind remaining blind permanently.”
40 These words were heard by those of the Pharisees who were present, and they asked Him, "Are we also blind?"
Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard him say that, and said to him, “You are not suggesting that we are [like] blind people, are you?”
41 "If you were blind," answered Jesus, "you would have no sin; but as a matter of fact you boast that you see. So your sin remains!"
Jesus said to them, “If you [realized that you did not yet know God’s truth, but you wanted to, then you would be like] blind people [who wanted to see. God would be able to] forgive your sins. But you are now [falsely] claiming that you [know God’s truth, so you are like people who are blind who claim that they] can see. [Because of that, God is not able to] forgive your sins.”
