A Man Born Blind Is Given Sight

And as he[a] went away, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?” Jesus replied, “Neither this man sinned nor his parents, but it happened[b] so that the works of God could be revealed in him. 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! While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 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. 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.

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?” 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

  1. John 9:1 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the participle (“went away”) which is understood as temporal
  2. John 9:3 The words “it happened” are not in the Greek text but are implied
  3. John 9:6 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“had said”) which is understood as temporal
  4. John 9:8 *The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to say”)
  5. John 9:10 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to say”)
  6. John 9:10 Some manuscripts have “Then how”
  7. John 9:11 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  8. John 9:11 Here “and” is supplied because the two previous participles (“went” and “washed”) have been translated as finite verbs
  9. John 9:16 Some manuscripts have “But others”
  10. John 9:18 Literally “of him”
  11. John 9:21 Literally “he has maturity”
  12. John 9:23 Literally “he has maturity”
  13. John 9:25 Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“was”) which is understood as concessive
  14. John 9:27 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  15. John 9:27 *The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here, indicated in the translation by the phrase “do you
  16. John 9:28 Some manuscripts have “And they reviled”
  17. John 9:32 Literally “the age”
  18. John 9:34 Here the present tense is translated as a conative present (“attempting to teach”)
  19. John 9:39 A number of important manuscripts lack v. 38 and the first part of v. 39 (“and Jesus said”)
  20. John 9:40 *The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here, indicated in the translation by the phrase “are we

And passing by, he saw a man blind from birth,

and his disciples asked him, saying, `Rabbi, who did sin, this one or his parents, that he should be born blind?'

Jesus answered, `Neither did this one sin nor his parents, but that the works of God may be manifested in him;

it behoveth me to be working the works of Him who sent me while it is day; night doth come, when no one is able to work: --

when I am in the world, I am a light of the world.'

These things saying, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and rubbed the clay on the eyes of the blind man, and said to him,

`Go away, wash at the pool of Siloam,' which is, interpreted, Sent. He went away, therefore, and did wash, and came seeing;

the neighbours, therefore, and those seeing him before, that he was blind, said, `Is not this he who is sitting and begging?'

others said -- `This is he;' and others -- `He is like to him;' he himself said, -- `I am [he].'

10 They said, therefore, to him, `How were thine eyes opened?'

11 he answered and said, `A man called Jesus made clay, and rubbed my eyes, and said to me, Go away to the pool of Siloam, and wash; and having gone away and having washed, I received sight;'

12 they said, therefore, to him, `Where is that one?' he saith, `I have not known.'

13 They bring him to the Pharisees who once [was] blind,

14 and it was a sabbath when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.

15 Again, therefore, the Pharisees also were asking him how he received sight, and he said to them, `Clay he did put upon my eyes, and I did wash -- and I see.'

16 Of the Pharisees, therefore, certain said, `This man is not from God, because the sabbath he doth not keep;' others said, `How is a man -- a sinful one -- able to do such signs?' and there was a division among them.

17 They said to the blind man again, `Thou -- what dost thou say of him -- that he opened thine eyes?'

18 and he said -- `He is a prophet.' The Jews, therefore, did not believe concerning him that he was blind and did receive sight, till that they called the parents of him who received sight,

19 and they asked them, saying, `Is your son, of whom ye say that he was born blind? how then now doth he see?'

20 His parents answered them and said, `We have known that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

21 and how he now seeth, we have not known; or who opened his eyes, we have not known; himself is of age, ask him; he himself shall speak concerning himself.'

22 These things said his parents, because they were afraid of the Jews, for already had the Jews agreed together, that if any one may confess him -- Christ, he may be put out of the synagogue;

23 because of this his parents said -- `He is of age, ask him.'

24 They called, therefore, a second time the man who was blind, and they said to him, `Give glory to God, we have known that this man is a sinner;'

25 he answered, therefore, and said, `If he be a sinner -- I have not known, one thing I have known, that, being blind, now I see.'

26 And they said to him again, `What did he to thee? how did he open thine eyes?'

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

28 They reviled him, therefore, and said, `Thou art his disciple, and we are Moses' disciples;

29 we have known that God hath spoken to Moses, but this one -- we have not known whence he is.'

30 The man answered and said to them, `Why, in this is a wonderful thing, that ye have not known whence he is, and he opened my eyes!

31 and we have known that God doth not hear sinners, but, if any one may be a worshipper of God, and may do His will, him He doth hear;

32 from the age it was not heard, that any one did open eyes of one who hath been born blind;

33 if this one were not from God, he were not able to do anything.'

34 They answered and said to him, `In sins thou wast born altogether, and thou dost teach us!' and they cast him forth without.

35 Jesus heard that they cast him forth without, and having found him, he said to him, `Dost thou believe in the Son of God?'

36 he answered and said, `Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?'

37 And Jesus said to him, `Thou hast both seen him, and he who is speaking with thee is he;'

38 and he said, `I believe, sir,' and bowed before him.

39 And Jesus said, `For judgment I to this world did come, that those not seeing may see, and those seeing may become blind.'

40 And those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and they said to him, `Are we also blind?'

41 Jesus said to them, `If ye were blind, ye were not having had sin, but now ye say -- We see, therefore doth your sin remain.