UJohane 9
1 Wathi esedlula wabona umuntu oyisiphofu kusukela ekuzalweni.
As Jesus passed by, he saw a man who had been blind from his birth.
2 Abafundi bakhe basebembuza bathi: Rabi, ngubani owonayo, lo kumbe abazali bakhe, aze azalwe eyisiphofu?
“Rabbi,” asked his disciples, “who was it that sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 UJesu waphendula wathi: Konanga lo loba abazali bakhe; kodwa ukuze kubonakaliswe imisebenzi kaNkulunkulu kuye.
“Neither the man nor the parents,” replied Jesus; “but he was born blind that the work of God should be made plain in him.
4 Kufanele ngisebenze imisebenzi yongithumileyo kusesemini; ubusuku buyeza, lapho okungekho olakho ukusebenza khona.
We must do the work of him who sent me, while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.
5 Ngisekhona emhlabeni, ngiyikukhanya komhlaba.
As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.”
6 Esetshilo lezizinto, wakhafulela emhlabathini, wenza udaka ngamathe, waninda loludaka emehlweni esiphofu,
Saying this, Jesus spat on the ground, made clay with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.
7 wasesithi kuso: Hamba uyegeza echibini leSilowama (okuphendulelwa ngokuthi, oThunyiweyo). Ngakho sahamba sageza, sabuya sesibona.
“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 Ngakho abakhelene laso lalabo ababesibonile ngaphambili ukuthi sasiyisiphofu, bathi: Kayisuye yini lo owayehlezi ephanza?
Upon this 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 Abanye bathi: Lo nguye; kodwa abanye bathi: Unjengaye. Yena wathi: Nginguye.
“Yes,” some said, “it is”; while others said: “No, but he is like him.” The man himself said: “I am he.”
10 Ngakho bathi kuye: Avulwe njani amehlo akho?
“How did you get your sight, then?” they asked.
11 Yena waphendula wathi: Umuntu othiwa nguJesu wenze udaka, waninda amehlo ami, wathi kimi: Hamba uye echibini leSilowama, ugeze. Njalo ngahamba ngageza, ngabuye ngabona.
“The man whom they call Jesus,” he answered, “made clay, 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 Ngakho bathi kuye: Ungaphi yena? Wathi: Kangazi.
“Where is he?” they asked. I do not know,” he answered.
13 Basebemletha kubaFarisi, lowo owayekade eyisiphofu.
They took the man, who had been blind, to the Pharisees.
14 Njalo kwakulisabatha mhla uJesu esenza udaka, evula amehlo akhe.
Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and gave him his sight.
15 AbaFarisi labo basebembuza futhi, ukuthi wemukele njani ukubona. Wasesithi kubo: Ufake udaka emehlweni ami, ngasengigeza, sengibona.
So the Pharisees also questioned the man as to how he had gained his sight. “He put clay on my eyes,” he answered, “and I washed them, and I can see.”
16 Ngakho abanye babaFarisi bathi: Lumuntu kaveli kuNkulunkulu, ngoba kagcini isabatha. Abanye bathi: Umuntu oyisoni angazenza njani izibonakaliso ezinje? Kwasekusiba khona ukwehlukana phakathi kwabo.
“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 Baphinda bathi kuso isiphofu: Wena uthini ngaye, lokhu evule amehlo akho? Wasesithi: Ungumprofethi.
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 AmaJuda-ke kawakholwanga ngaye, ukuthi wayeyisiphofu usemukele ukubona, aze abiza abazali bakhe osebuye wabona,
The Jews, however, refused to believe that he had been blind and had gained his sight, until they had called his parents and questioned them.
19 asebabuza athi: Lo uyindodana yenu, lina elithi yazalwa iyisiphofu yini? Pho isibona njani khathesi?
“Is this your son,” they asked, “who you say was born blind? If so, how is it that he can see now?”
20 Abazali bakhe bawaphendula bathi: Siyazi ukuthi lo uyindodana yethu, lokuthi wazalwa eyisiphofu;
“We know that this is our son,” answered the parents, “and that he was born blind;
21 kodwa ukuthi ubona njani khathesi, kasikwazi; kumbe ngubani ovule amehlo akhe, thina kasikwazi; yena usekhulile; mbuzeni, uzazikhulumela yena.
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 Abazali bakhe batsho lezizinto, ngoba besesaba amaJuda; ngoba amaJuda ayesevumelene ngokuthi, uba loba engubani ovuma ukuthi unguKristu, kakhutshwe esinagogeni.
His parents spoke in this way because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that, if any one should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ, he should be expelled from their synagogues.
23 Kungakho abazali bakhe bathi: Usekhulile, mbuzeni.
This was why his parents said ‘He is old enough; ask him.’
24 Ambiza-ke ngokwesibili lowomuntu owayeyisiphofu, athi kuye: Phana uNkulunkulu udumo; thina siyazi ukuthi lowomuntu uyisoni.
So the Jews 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 Yena wasephendula esithi: Loba eyisoni kangazi, kunye engikwaziyo, ukuthi bengiyisiphofu, khathesi sengibona.
“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 Asesithi kuye futhi: Wenzeni kuwe? Uwavule njani amehlo akho?
“What did he do to you?” they asked. “How did he give you your sight?”
27 Wawaphendula wathi: Sengilitshelile, kodwa kalizwanga, lifunelani ukuzwa futhi? Liyafisa lani ukuba ngabafundi bakhe yini?
“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 Ngakho amthuka, esithi: Nguwe ongumfundi wakhe; kodwa thina singabafundi bakaMozisi.
“You are his disciple,” they retorted scornfully; “but we are disciples of Moses.
29 Thina siyazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu wakhuluma loMozisi; kodwa lo kasimazi lapho avela khona.
We know that God spoke to Moses; but, as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.”
30 Umuntu waphendula wathi kuwo: Ngoba kulokhu kuyisimanga ukuthi lina kalimazi lapho avela khona, kanti uvule amehlo ami.
“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 Njalo siyazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu kazizwa izoni; kodwa uba umuntu engokhonza uNkulunkulu, esenza intando yakhe, uyamuzwa lowo.
We know that God never listens to bad men, but, when a man is god-fearing and does God’s will, God listens to him.
Since the world began, such a thing was never heard of as any one’s giving sight to a person born blind. (aiōn g165)
33 Uba lo ubengaveli kuNkulunkulu, ubengebe lamandla okwenza ulutho.
If this man had not been from God, he could not have done anything at all.”
34 Aphendula athi kuye: Wena wazalelwa esonweni ngokupheleleyo, njalo wena uyasifundisa yini? Asemxotshela phandle.
“You,” they retorted, “were born totally depraved; and are you trying to teach us?” So they expelled him.
35 UJesu wezwa ukuthi amxotshele phandle; kwathi esemficile, wathi kuye: Wena uyakholwa yini eNdodaneni kaNkulunkulu?
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 Yena waphendula wathi: Ingubani, Nkosi, ukuze ngikholwe kuyo?
“Tell me who he is, Sir,” he replied, “so that I may believe in him.”
37 UJesu wasesithi kuye: Lawe usuyibonile, njalo okhuluma lawe uyiyo.
“Not only have you seen him,” said Jesus; “but it is he who is now speaking to you.”
38 Wasesithi: Nkosi, ngiyakholwa; wasemkhonza.
“Then, Sir, I do believe,” said the man, bowing to the ground before him;
39 UJesu wasesithi: Mina ngizele ukwahlulela kulumhlaba, ukuze abangaboniyo babone, lalabo ababonayo babe yiziphofu.
and Jesus added: “It was to put men 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 Lalabo kubaFarisi ababelaye bezwa lezizinto, bathi kuye: Lathi siyiziphofu yini?
Hearing this, some of the Pharisees who were with him said: “Then are we blind too?”
41 UJesu wathi kubo: Uba beliyiziphofu, ngabe kalilasono. Kodwa khathesi lithi: Siyabona; ngakho isono senu simi.
“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.
