The Sixth Sign: Healing a Man Born Blind

As he was passing by, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi,(A) who sinned, this man(B) or his parents,(C) that he was born blind?”

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” Jesus answered. “This came about so that God’s works(D) might be displayed in him. We[a] must do the works(E) of him who sent me[b] while it is day.(F) Night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”(G)

After he said these things he spit on the ground, made some mud(H) from the saliva, and spread the mud on his eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the pool of Siloam”(I) (which means “Sent”). So he left, washed, and came back seeing.(J)

His neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar said, “Isn’t this the one who used to sit begging?” Some said, “He’s the one.” Others were saying, “No, but he looks like him.”

He kept saying, “I’m the one.”

10 So they asked him, “Then how were your eyes opened?”

11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and told me, ‘Go to Siloam(K) and wash.’ So when I went and washed I received my sight.”(L)

12 “Where is he?” they asked.

“I don’t know,” he said.

The Healed Man’s Testimony

13 They brought the man who used to be blind to the Pharisees.(M) 14 The day that Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes was a Sabbath.(N) 15 Then the Pharisees asked him again how he received his sight.

“He put mud on my eyes,” he told them. “I washed and I can see.”

16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God,(O) because he doesn’t keep the Sabbath.” But others were saying, “How can a sinful man(P) perform such signs?” And there was a division(Q) among them.

17 Again they asked the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he opened your eyes?”

“He’s a prophet,”(R) he said.

18 The Jews did not believe this about him—that he was blind and received sight—until they summoned the parents of the one who had received his sight.

19 They asked them, “Is this your son, the one you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”

20 “We know this is our son and that he was born blind,” his parents answered. 21 “But we don’t know how he now sees, and we don’t know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he’s of age. He will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jews, since the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed him as the Messiah,(S) he would be banned from the synagogue. 23 This is why his parents said, “He’s of age; ask him.”

24 So a second time they summoned the man who had been blind and told him, “Give glory(T) to God.(U) We know that this man is a sinner.”

25 He answered, “Whether or not he’s a sinner, I don’t know. One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I can see!”

26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

27 “I already told you,” he said, “and you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You don’t want to become his disciples too, do you?”

28 They ridiculed him: “You’re that man’s disciple, but we’re Moses’s(V) disciples. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses. But this man—we don’t know where he’s from.”(W)

30 “This is an amazing thing!” the man told them. “You don’t know where he is from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners,(X) but if anyone is God-fearing and does his will,(Y) he listens to him.(Z) 32 Throughout history[c] no one has ever heard of someone opening the eyes of a person born blind.(AA) 33 If this man were not from God, he wouldn’t be able to do anything.”(AB)

34 “You were born entirely in sin,”(AC) they replied, “and are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out.(AD)

Spiritual Blindness

35 Jesus heard that they had thrown the man out, and when he found him, he asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”[d](AE)

36 “Who is he, Sir,(AF) that I may believe in him?” he asked.

37 Jesus answered, “You have seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”

38 “I believe, Lord!” he said, and he worshiped him.

39 Jesus said, “I came into this world(AG) for judgment,(AH) in order that those who do not see will see and those who do see will become blind.”(AI)

40 Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things and asked him, “We aren’t blind too, are we?”

41 “If you were blind,” Jesus told them, “you wouldn’t have sin.(AJ) But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.

Footnotes

  1. 9:4 Other mss read I
  2. 9:4 Other mss read us
  3. 9:32 Lit From the age
  4. 9:35 Other mss read the Son of God

Healing the Man Born Blind

As Jesus passed by, He saw a man who had been blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, “(A)Rabbi, who sinned, (B)this man or his (C)parents, that he would be born blind?” Jesus answered, It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was (D)so that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must carry out the works of Him who sent Me (E)as long as it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am (F)the Light of the world.” When He had said this, He (G)spit on the ground, and made mud from the saliva, and applied the mud to his eyes, and said to him, “Go, wash in (H)the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he left and (I)washed, and (J)came back seeing. So the neighbors, and those who previously saw [a]him as a beggar, were saying, “Is this not the one who used to (K)sit and beg?” Others were saying, “This is he,” still others were saying, “No, but he is like him.” [b]The man himself kept saying, “I am the one.” 10 So they were saying to him, “How then were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man who is called Jesus made mud, and spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to (L)Siloam and wash’; so I went away and washed, and I received sight.” 12 And they said to him, “Where is He?” He *said, “I do not know.”

Controversy over the Man

13 They *brought [c]the man who was previously blind to the Pharisees. 14 (M)Now it was a Sabbath on the day that Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 (N)Then the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, “He applied mud to my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16 Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man is not from God, because He (O)does not keep the Sabbath.” But others were saying, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such [d](P)signs?” And (Q)there was dissension among them. 17 So they *said (R)again to the man who was blind, “What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?” And he said, “He is a (S)prophet.”

18 (T)The Jews then did not believe it about him, that he had been blind and had received sight, until they called the parents of the very one who had received his sight, 19 and they questioned them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?” 20 His parents then answered and said, “We know that this 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 of age, he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they (U)were afraid of the [e]Jews; for the Jews (V)had already reached the decision that if anyone confessed Him to be [f]Christ, (W)he was to be excommunicated from the synagogue. 23 It was for this reason that his parents said, “(X)He is of age; ask him.”

24 So for a second time they summoned the man who had been blind, and said to him, “(Y)Give glory to God; we know that (Z)this man is a sinner.” 25 He then answered, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I 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 answered them, “(AA)I told you already and you did not (AB)listen; why do you want to hear it again? You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?” 28 They spoke abusively to him and said, “You are His disciple, but (AC)we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, (AD)we do not know where He is from.” 30 The man answered and said to them, “Well, here is the amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes! 31 We know that (AE)God does not listen to sinners; but if someone is [g]God-fearing and does His will, He listens to him. 32 [h]Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33 (AF)If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “(AG)You were born entirely in sins, and yet you are teaching us?” So they [i](AH)put him out.

Jesus Affirms His Deity

35 Jesus heard that they had [j](AI)put him out, and upon finding him, He said, “Do you believe in the (AJ)Son of Man?” 36 He answered [k]by saying, “And (AK)who is He, [l]Sir, that I may believe in Him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and (AL)He is the one who is talking with you.” 38 And he said, “I believe, Lord.” And he (AM)worshiped Him. 39 And Jesus said, (AN)For judgment I came into this world, so that (AO)those who do not see may see, and (AP)those who see may become blind.” 40 Those who were with Him from the Pharisees heard these things and said to Him, “(AQ)We are not blind too, are we?” 41 Jesus said to them, (AR)If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now that you maintain, ‘(AS)We see,’ your sin remains.

Footnotes

  1. John 9:8 Lit that he was a
  2. John 9:9 Lit That one kept
  3. John 9:13 Lit him who
  4. John 9:16 I.e., confirming miracles
  5. John 9:22 I.e., the Jewish leaders
  6. John 9:22 I.e., the Messiah
  7. John 9:31 Or devout
  8. John 9:32 Lit From the age it was not heard
  9. John 9:34 I.e., prob. excommunication from the synagogue
  10. John 9:35 See note v 34
  11. John 9:36 Lit and said
  12. John 9:36 Or Lord