John 9
Lexham English Bible
A Man Born Blind Is Given Sight
9 And as he[a] went away, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?” 3 Jesus replied, “Neither this man sinned nor his parents, but it happened[b] so that the works of God could be revealed in him. 4 It is necessary for us to do the deeds of the one who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work! 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 When he[c] had said these things, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes. 7 And he said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated “sent”). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
8 Then the neighbors and those who saw him previously (because he was a beggar) began to say,[d] “Is this man not the one who used to sit and beg?” 9 Others were saying, “It is this man”; others were saying, “No, but he is like him.” That one was saying, “I am he!” 10 So they began to say[e] to him, “How[f] were your eyes opened?” 11 He replied, “The man who is called Jesus made clay and smeared it[g] on my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash!’ So I went, and I washed, and[h] I received sight.” 12 And they said to him, “Where is that man?” He said, “I do not know.”
The Reaction of the Pharisees to the Healing
13 They brought him—the one formerly blind—to the Pharisees. 14 (Now the day on which Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes was the Sabbath.) 15 So the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received sight. And he said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16 So some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man is not from God, because he does not observe the Sabbath!” Others[i] were saying, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And there was a division among them. 17 So they said to the blind man again, “What do you say about him, because he opened your eyes?” And he said, “He is a prophet.”
18 So the Jews did not believe concerning him that he had been blind and received sight, until they summoned the parents of the one[j] who received sight. 19 And they asked them, saying, “Is this man your son, whom you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?” 20 So his parents answered and said, “We know that this man is our son, and that he was born blind. 21 But how he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. Ask him! He is a mature adult;[k] he will speak for himself!” 22 (His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already decided that if anyone should confess him to be Christ, he would be expelled from the synagogue. 23 Because of this his parents said, “He is a mature adult;[l] ask him.”)
24 So they summoned the man who had been blind for the second time and said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner!” 25 Then that man replied, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I know—that although I[m] was blind, now I see!” 26 So they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He replied to them, “I told you already and you did not listen! Why do you want to hear it[n] again? You do not want to become his disciples also, do you?”[o] 28 They reviled[p] him and said, “You are his disciple! But we are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but we do not know where this man is from.” 30 The man answered and said to them, “For the remarkable thing is this, that you do not know where he is from, and he opened my eyes! 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if someone is devout and does his will, he listens to this one. 32 From time immemorial[q] it has not been heard that someone opened the eyes of one born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything!” 34 They answered and said to him, “You were born completely in sin, and are you attempting to teach[r] us?” And they threw him out.
Jesus as the Son of Man
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and finding him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered and said, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have both seen him, and he is the one who is speaking with you.” [[38 And he said, “I believe, Lord!” and he worshiped him. 39 And Jesus said,]][s] “For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind!” 40 Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things and said to him, “We are not also blind, are we?”[t] 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.
Footnotes
- John 9:1 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the participle (“went away”) which is understood as temporal
- John 9:3 The words “it happened” are not in the Greek text but are implied
- John 9:6 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“had said”) which is understood as temporal
- John 9:8 *The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to say”)
- John 9:10 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to say”)
- John 9:10 Some manuscripts have “Then how”
- John 9:11 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- John 9:11 Here “and” is supplied because the two previous participles (“went” and “washed”) have been translated as finite verbs
- John 9:16 Some manuscripts have “But others”
- John 9:18 Literally “of him”
- John 9:21 Literally “he has maturity”
- John 9:23 Literally “he has maturity”
- John 9:25 Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“was”) which is understood as concessive
- John 9:27 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- John 9:27 *The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here, indicated in the translation by the phrase “do you”
- John 9:28 Some manuscripts have “And they reviled”
- John 9:32 Literally “the age”
- John 9:34 Here the present tense is translated as a conative present (“attempting to teach”)
- John 9:39 A number of important manuscripts lack v. 38 and the first part of v. 39 (“and Jesus said”)
- John 9:40 *The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here, indicated in the translation by the phrase “are we”
John 9
King James Version
9 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
8 The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?
9 Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.
10 Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?
11 He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.
12 Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.
13 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.
14 And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.
15 Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.
16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.
17 They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.
18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight.
19 And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see?
20 His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:
21 But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.
22 These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
23 Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.
24 Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.
25 He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.
26 Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes?
27 He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?
28 Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples.
29 We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.
30 The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.
31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.
33 If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.
34 They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.
38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.
39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
John 9
New Century Version
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been born blind. 2 His followers asked him, “Teacher, whose sin caused this man to be born blind—his own sin or his parents’ sin?”
3 Jesus answered, “It is not this man’s sin or his parents’ sin that made him blind. This man was born blind so that God’s power could be shown in him. 4 While it is daytime, we must continue doing the work of the One who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 After Jesus said this, he spit on the ground and made some mud with it and put the mud on the man’s eyes. 7 Then he told the man, “Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam.” (Siloam means Sent.) So the man went, washed, and came back seeing.
8 The neighbors and some people who had earlier seen this man begging said, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?”
9 Some said, “He is the one,” but others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
The man himself said, “I am the man.”
10 They asked, “How did you get your sight?”
11 He answered, “The man named Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. Then he told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
12 They asked him, “Where is this man?”
“I don’t know,” he answered.
Pharisees Question the Healing
13 Then the people took to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 The day Jesus had made mud and healed his eyes was a Sabbath day. 15 So now the Pharisees asked the man, “How did you get your sight?”
He answered, “He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and now I see.”
16 So some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man does not keep the Sabbath day, so he is not from God.”
But others said, “A man who is a sinner can’t do miracles like these.” So they could not agree with each other.
17 They asked the man again, “What do you say about him since it was your eyes he opened?”
The man answered, “He is a prophet.”
18 These leaders did not believe that he had been blind and could now see again. So they sent for the man’s parents 19 and asked them, “Is this your son who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?”
20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21 But we don’t know how he can now see. We don’t know who opened his eyes. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the elders, who had already decided that anyone who said Jesus was the Christ would be avoided. 23 That is why his parents said, “He is old enough. Ask him.”
24 So for the second time, they called the man who had been blind. They said, “You should give God the glory by telling the truth. We know that this man is a sinner.”
25 He answered, “I don’t know if he is a sinner. One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I see.”
26 They asked, “What did he do to you? How did he make you see again?”
27 He answered, “I already told you, and you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his followers, too?”
28 Then they insulted him and said, “You are his follower, but we are followers of Moses. 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.”
30 The man answered, “This is a very strange thing. You don’t know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We all know that God does not listen to sinners, but he listens to anyone who worships and obeys him. 32 Nobody has ever heard of anyone giving sight to a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
34 They answered, “You were born full of sin! Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out.
Spiritual Blindness
35 When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, Jesus found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
36 He asked, “Who is the Son of Man, sir, so that I can believe in him?”
37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him. The Son of Man is the one talking with you.”
38 He said, “Lord, I believe!” Then the man worshiped Jesus.
39 Jesus said, “I came into this world so that the world could be judged. I came so that the blind[a] would see and so that those who see will become blind.”
40 Some of the Pharisees who were nearby heard Jesus say this and asked, “Are you saying we are blind, too?”
41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin. But since you keep saying you see, your guilt remains.”
Footnotes
- 9:39 blind Jesus is talking about people who are spiritually blind, not physically blind.
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
