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John 9
The Voice
John 9
The Voice
John and many people in his community are Jews. As a son of Abraham, his criticism of certain Jewish leaders is not a criticism of a whole people. He’s not stereotyping or making generalizations. “The Jews” he remembers in this passage are a corrupt group of power brokers who conspire against Jesus with the Romans to have Him crucified and who later have John’s own followers expelled from the synagogue. Their behavior may be compared to the behavior of those Israelites condemned by Old Testament prophets. Prophets have the duty—Jeremiah said he had “a fire in his bones” (20:9)—to speak for God and condemn hypocrisy and unbelief wherever it is found, especially when it’s found close to home. That’s what John’s doing when recalling this event.
9 While walking along the road, Jesus saw a man who was blind since his birth.
Disciples: 2 Teacher, who sinned? Who is responsible for this man’s blindness? Did he commit sins that merited this punishment? If not his sins, is it the sins of his parents?
Jesus: 3 Neither. His blindness cannot be explained or traced to any particular person’s sins. He is blind so the deeds of God may be put on display. 4 While it is daytime, we must do the works of the One who sent Me. But when the sun sets and night falls, this work is impossible. 5 Whenever I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.
6 After He said these things, He spat on the ground and mixed saliva and dirt to form mud, which He smeared across the blind man’s eyes.
Jesus (to the blind man): 7 Go, wash yourself in the pool of Siloam.
Siloam means “sent,” and its name reminded us that his healing was sent by God. The man went, washed, and returned to Jesus, his eyes now alive with sight. 8 Then neighbors and others who knew him were confused to see a man so closely resembling the blind beggar running about.
Townspeople: Isn’t this the man we see every day sitting and begging in the streets?
Others: 9 This is the same man.
Still Others: This cannot be him. But this fellow bears an uncanny resemblance to the blind man.
Formerly Blind Man: I am the same man. It’s me!
Townspeople: 10 How have your lifeless eyes been opened?
Formerly Blind Man: 11 A man named Jesus approached me and made mud from the ground and applied it to my eyes. He then said to me, “Go, wash yourself in the pool of Siloam.” I went and washed, and suddenly I could see.
Townspeople: 12 Where is this man who healed you?
Formerly Blind Man: I don’t know.
13-14 The townspeople brought the formerly blind beggar to appear before the Pharisees the same day Jesus healed him, which happened to be on the Sabbath Day. 15 The Pharisees began questioning him, looking for some explanation for how he could now see.
Formerly Blind Man: He smeared mud on my eyes, and I washed; now I see.
Some Pharisees: 16 God can’t possibly be behind this man because He is breaking the rules of the Sabbath.
Other Pharisees: How can such a lawbreaking scoundrel do something like this?
The Pharisees were at odds with one another about Jesus and could not agree whether His power came from God or the devil.
Pharisees (to the formerly blind man): 17 What do you say about this man, about the fact He opened your eyes so you could see?
Formerly Blind Man: I have no doubt—this man is a prophet.
18 Some of the Jews suspected the whole situation was a charade, that this man was never blind. So they summoned the man’s parents to testify about his condition.
Pharisees: 19 Is this man your son? Do you testify that he has been blind from birth? How therefore does he now see?
Parents: 20 We can tell you this much: he is our son, and he was born blind. 21 But his new sight is a complete mystery to us! We do not know the man who opened his eyes. Why don’t you ask our son? He is old enough to speak for himself.
22 The man’s parents were a bit evasive because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. It had been rumored that anyone who spoke of Jesus as the Anointed One would be expelled from the synagogue. 23 So they deferred the thorny question to their son, 24 and the Pharisees called on him a second time.
Pharisees: Give God the credit. He’s the One who healed you. All glory belongs to God. We are persuaded this man you speak of is a sinner who defies God.
Formerly Blind Man: 25 If this man is a sinner, I don’t know. I am not qualified to say. I only know one thing: I was blind, and now I see.
Pharisees: 26 What did He do to you? How did He give you sight?
Formerly Blind Man: 27 Listen, I’ve already answered all these questions, and you don’t like my answers. Do you really need me to say it all over again? Are you thinking about joining up with Him and becoming His followers?
Pharisees (berating him): 28 You’re one of His followers, but we follow Moses. 29 We have confidence that God spoke to Moses, but this man you speak of is a mystery; we don’t even know where He comes from.
Formerly Blind Man: 30 Isn’t it ironic that you, our religious leaders, don’t even know where He comes from; yet He gave me sight! 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does respond and work through those who worship Him and do His will. 32 No one has ever heard of someone opening the eyes of any person blind from birth. 33 This man must come from God; otherwise, this miracle would not be possible. Only God can do such things.
Pharisees: 34 You were born under a cloud of sin. How can you, of all people, lecture us?
The religious leaders banished him from their presence. 35 Jesus heard what had happened and sought out the man.
Jesus: Do you believe in the Son of Man?
Formerly Blind Man: 36 I want to believe, Lord. Who is He?
Jesus: 37 You have seen His face with your new eyes, and you are talking to Him now.
Formerly Blind Man: 38 Lord, I do believe.
The man bowed low to worship Jesus.
Jesus: 39 I have entered this world to announce a verdict that changes everything. Now those without sight may begin to see, and those who see may become blind.
Some Pharisees (who overheard Jesus): 40 Surely we are not blind, are we?
Jesus: 41 If you were blind, you would be without sin. But because you claim you can see, your sin is ever present.
John 9
GOD’S WORD Translation
John 9
GOD’S WORD Translation
Jesus Gives Sight to a Blind Man
9 As Jesus walked along, he saw a man who had been born blind. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, why was this man born blind? Did he or his parents sin?”
3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned. Instead, he was born blind so that God could show what he can do for him. 4 We must do what the one who sent me wants us to do while it is day. The night when no one can do anything is coming. 5 As long as I’m in the world, I’m light for the world.”
6 After Jesus said this, he spit on the ground and mixed the spit with dirt. Then he smeared it on the man’s eyes 7 and told him, “Wash it off in the pool of Siloam.” (Siloam means “sent.”) The blind man washed it off and returned. He was able to see.
8 His neighbors and those who had previously seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?”
9 Some of them said, “He’s the one.” Others said, “No, he isn’t, but he looks like him.” But the man himself said, “I am the one.”
10 So they asked him, “How did you receive your sight?”
11 He replied, “The man people call Jesus mixed some spit with dirt, smeared it on my eyes, and told me, ‘Go to Siloam, and wash it off.’ So I went there, washed it off, and received my sight.”
12 They asked him, “Where is that man?”
The man answered, “I don’t know.”
13 Some people brought the man who had been blind to the Pharisees. 14 The day when Jesus mixed the spit and dirt and gave the man sight was a day of rest—a holy day. 15 So the Pharisees asked the man again how he received his sight.
The man told the Pharisees, “He put a mixture of spit and dirt on my eyes. I washed it off, and now I can see.”
16 Some of the Pharisees said, “The man who did this is not from God because he doesn’t follow the traditions for the day of rest—a holy day.” Other Pharisees asked, “How can a man who is a sinner perform miracles like these?” So the Pharisees were divided in their opinions.
17 They asked the man who had been born blind another question: “What do you say about the man who gave you sight?”
The man answered, “He’s a prophet.”
18 Until they talked to the man’s parents, the Jews didn’t believe that the man had been blind and had been given sight. 19 They asked his parents, “Is this your son, the one you say was born blind? Why can he see now?”
20 His parents replied, “We know that he’s our son and that he was born blind. 21 But we don’t know how he got his sight or who gave it to him. You’ll have to ask him. He’s old enough to answer for himself.” 22 (His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews. The Jews had already agreed to put anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ out of the synagogue. 23 That’s why his parents said, “You’ll have to ask him. He’s old enough.”)
24 So once again the Jews called the man who had been blind. They told him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man who gave you sight is a sinner.”
25 The man responded, “I don’t know if he’s a sinner or not. But I do know one thing. I used to be blind, but now I can see.”
26 The Jews asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he give you sight?”
27 The man replied, “I’ve already told you, but you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear the story again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”
28 The Jews yelled at him, “You’re his disciple, but we’re Moses’ disciples. 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but we don’t know where this man came from.”
30 The man replied to them, “That’s amazing! You don’t know where he’s from. Yet, he gave me sight. 31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners. Instead, he listens to people who are devout and who do what he wants. 32 Since the beginning of time, no one has ever heard of anyone giving sight to a person born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he couldn’t do anything like that.”
34 The Jews answered him, “You were born full of sin. Do you think you can teach us?” Then they threw him out ⌞of the synagogue⌟.
35 Jesus heard that the Jews had thrown the man out ⌞of the synagogue⌟. So when Jesus found the man, he asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
36 The man replied, “Sir, tell me who he is so that I can believe in him.”
37 Jesus told him, “You’ve seen him. He is the person who is now talking with you.”
38 The man bowed in front of Jesus and said, “I believe, Lord.”
39 Then Jesus said, “I have come into this world to judge: Blind people will be given sight, and those who can see will become blind.”
40 Some Pharisees who were with Jesus heard this. So they asked him, “Do you think we’re blind?”
41 Jesus told them, “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be sinners. But now you say, ‘We see,’ so you continue to be sinners.
Juan 9
La Biblia de las Américas
Juan 9
La Biblia de las Américas
Curación de un ciego
9 Al pasar Jesús, vio a un hombre ciego de nacimiento. 2 Y sus discípulos le preguntaron, diciendo: Rabí[a](A), ¿quién pecó, este(B) o sus padres(C), para que naciera ciego? 3 Jesús respondió: Ni este pecó, ni sus padres; sino que está ciego para que las obras de Dios(D) se manifiesten en él. 4 Nosotros debemos[b] hacer las obras del que me envió mientras es de día(E); la noche viene cuando nadie puede trabajar. 5 Mientras estoy en el mundo, yo soy la luz del mundo(F). 6 Habiendo dicho esto, escupió en tierra(G), e hizo barro con la saliva y le untó el barro en los ojos, 7 y le dijo: Ve y lávate en el estanque de Siloé(H) (que quiere decir, Enviado). Él fue, pues, y se lavó(I) y regresó viendo(J). 8 Entonces los vecinos y los que antes le habían visto que era mendigo, decían: ¿No es este el que se sentaba y mendigaba(K)? 9 Unos decían: Él es; y otros decían: No, pero se parece a él. Él decía: Yo soy. 10 Entonces le decían: ¿Cómo te fueron abiertos los ojos? 11 Él respondió: El hombre que se llama Jesús hizo barro, lo untó sobre mis ojos y me dijo: «Ve al Siloé y lávate». Así que fui, me lavé y recibí la vista(L). 12 Y le dijeron: ¿Dónde está Él? Él dijo*: No sé.
13 Llevaron* ante los fariseos al que antes había sido ciego. 14 Y era día de reposo el día en que Jesús hizo el barro y le abrió los ojos(M). 15 Entonces los fariseos volvieron también a preguntarle cómo había recibido la vista(N). Y él les dijo: Me puso barro sobre los ojos, y me lavé y veo. 16 Por eso algunos de los fariseos decían: Este hombre no viene[c] de Dios, porque no guarda el día de reposo(O). Pero otros decían: ¿Cómo puede un hombre pecador hacer tales señales[d](P)? Y había división entre ellos(Q). 17 Entonces dijeron* otra vez al ciego(R): ¿Qué dices tú de Él, ya que te abrió los ojos? Y él dijo: Es un profeta(S). 18 Entonces los judíos(T) no le creyeron que había sido ciego, y que había recibido la vista, hasta que llamaron a los padres del que había recibido la vista, 19 y les preguntaron, diciendo: ¿Es este vuestro hijo, el que vosotros decís que nació ciego? ¿Cómo es que ahora ve? 20 Sus padres entonces les respondieron, y dijeron: Sabemos que este es nuestro hijo, y que nació ciego; 21 pero cómo es que ahora ve, no lo sabemos; o quién le abrió los ojos, nosotros no lo sabemos. Preguntadle a él; edad tiene, él hablará por sí mismo. 22 Sus padres dijeron esto porque tenían miedo a los judíos(U); porque los judíos ya se habían puesto de acuerdo(V) en que si alguno confesaba que Jesús[e] era el Cristo[f], fuera expulsado de la sinagoga(W). 23 Por eso sus padres dijeron: Edad tiene; preguntadle a él(X).
24 Por segunda vez llamaron al hombre que había sido ciego y le dijeron: Da gloria a Dios[g](Y); nosotros sabemos que este hombre es un pecador(Z). 25 Entonces él les contestó: Si es pecador, no lo sé; una cosa sé: que yo era ciego y ahora veo. 26 Le dijeron entonces: ¿Qué te hizo? ¿Cómo te abrió los ojos? 27 Él les contestó: Ya os lo dije(AA) y no escuchasteis(AB); ¿por qué queréis oírlo otra vez? ¿Es que también vosotros queréis haceros discípulos suyos? 28 Entonces lo insultaron, y le dijeron: Tú eres discípulo de ese hombre; pero nosotros somos discípulos de Moisés(AC). 29 Nosotros sabemos que Dios habló a Moisés, pero en cuanto a este, no sabemos de dónde es(AD). 30 Respondió el hombre y les dijo: Pues en esto hay algo asombroso, que vosotros no sepáis de dónde es, y sin embargo, a mí me abrió los ojos. 31 Sabemos que Dios no oye a los pecadores; pero si alguien teme a Dios y hace su voluntad, a este oye(AE). 32 Desde el principio jamás se ha oído decir que alguien abriera los ojos a un ciego de nacimiento. 33 Si este no viniera[h] de Dios, no podría hacer nada(AF). 34 Respondieron ellos y le dijeron: Tú naciste enteramente en pecados(AG), ¿y tú nos enseñas a nosotros? Y lo echaron fuera(AH).
35 Jesús oyó decir que lo habían echado fuera(AI), y hallándolo, le dijo: ¿Crees tú en el Hijo del Hombre[i](AJ)? 36 Él respondió y dijo: ¿Y quién es, Señor, para que yo crea en Él(AK)? 37 Jesús le dijo: Pues[j] tú le has visto, y el que está hablando contigo(AL), ese es. 38 Él entonces dijo: Creo, Señor. Y le adoró(AM). 39 Y Jesús dijo: Yo vine a este mundo para juicio(AN); para que los que no ven, vean(AO), y para que los que ven se vuelvan ciegos(AP). 40 Algunos de los fariseos que estaban con Él oyeron esto y le dijeron: ¿Acaso nosotros también somos ciegos(AQ)? 41 Jesús les dijo: Si fuerais ciegos, no tendríais pecado(AR); pero ahora, porque decís: «Vemos», vuestro pecado permanece(AS).
Footnotes
- Juan 9:2 O, Maestro
- Juan 9:4 Algunos mss. antiguos dicen: Me es necesario
- Juan 9:16 Lit., no es
- Juan 9:16 O, estos milagros
- Juan 9:22 Lit., El
- Juan 9:22 I.e., el Mesías
- Juan 9:24 Fórmula que se usaba para obligar a alguno a decir la verdad. Véase Jos. 7:19
- Juan 9:33 Lit., no fuera
- Juan 9:35 Algunos mss. posteriores dicen: Hijo de Dios
- Juan 9:37 Lit., Y
John 9
New International Version
John 9
New International Version
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi,(A) who sinned,(B) this man(C) or his parents,(D) that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.(E) 4 As long as it is day,(F) we must do the works of him 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.”(G)
6 After saying this, he spit(H) on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam”(I) (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.(J)
8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?”(K) 9 Some claimed that he was.
Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.
11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”(L)
12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.
“I don’t know,” he said.
The Pharisees Investigate the Healing
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath.(M) 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight.(N) “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”
16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”(O)
But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?”(P) So they were divided.(Q)
17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”
The man replied, “He is a prophet.”(R)
18 They(S) still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”
20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders,(T) who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out(U) of the synagogue.(V) 23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”(W)
24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,”(X) they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”(Y)
25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”
27 He answered, “I have told you already(Z) and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”
28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses!(AA) 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”(AB)
30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.(AC) 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God,(AD) he could do nothing.”
34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth;(AE) how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.(AF)
Spiritual Blindness
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe(AG) in the Son of Man?”(AH)
36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”(AI)
37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”(AJ)
38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.(AK)
39 Jesus said,[a] “For judgment(AL) I have come into this world,(AM) so that the blind will see(AN) and those who see will become blind.”(AO)
40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”(AP)
41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.(AQ)
Footnotes
- John 9:39 Some early manuscripts do not have Then the man said … 39 Jesus said.
The Voice (VOICE)
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God’s Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.