Add parallel Print Page Options

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

Jesus answered, “This man didn’t sin, nor did his parents, but that the works of God might be revealed in him. I must work the works of him who sent me while it is day. The night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When he had said this, he spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, anointed the blind man’s eyes with the mud, and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he went away, washed, and came back seeing.

Therefore the neighbors and those who saw that he was blind before said, “Isn’t this he who sat and begged?” Others were saying, “It is he.” Still others were saying, “He looks like him.”

He said, “I am he.”

10 They therefore were asking him, “How were your eyes opened?”

11 He answered, “A man called Jesus made mud, anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went away and washed, and I received sight.”

12 Then they asked him, “Where is he?”

He said, “I don’t know.”

13 They brought him who had been blind to the Pharisees. 14 It was a Sabbath when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 Again therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and I see.”

16 Some therefore of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he doesn’t keep the Sabbath.”

Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” So there was division among them.

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

He said, “He is a prophet.”

18 The Jews therefore didn’t believe concerning him, that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight, 19 and asked them, “Is this your son, whom you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”

20 His parents answered them, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but how he now sees, we don’t know; or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. He is of age. Ask him. He will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said these things because they feared the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if any man would confess him as Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age. Ask him.”

24 So they called the man who was blind a second time, and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.”

25 He therefore answered, “I don’t know if he is a sinner. One thing I do know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

26 They said to him again, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

27 He answered them, “I told you already, and you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You don’t also want to become his disciples, do you?”

28 They insulted him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses. But as for this man, we don’t know where he comes from.”

30 The man answered them, “How amazing! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, he listens to him.(A) 32 Since the world began it has never been heard of that anyone opened the eyes of someone born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

34 They answered him, “You were altogether born in sins, and do you teach us?” Then they threw him out.

35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and finding him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”

36 He answered, “Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?”

37 Jesus said to him, “You have both seen him, and it is he who speaks with you.”

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

39 Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, that those who don’t see may see; and that those who see may become blind.”

40 Those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?”

41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been born blind. His disciples asked him, “Teacher, whose sin caused him to be born blind? Was it his own or his parents' sin?”

Jesus answered, “His blindness has nothing to do with his sins or his parents' sins. He is blind so that God's power might be seen at work in him. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me; night is coming when no one can work. (A)While I am in the world, I am the light for the world.”

After he said this, Jesus spat on the ground and made some mud with the spittle; he rubbed the mud on the man's eyes and told him, “Go and wash your face in the Pool of Siloam.” (This name means “Sent.”) So the man went, washed his face, and came back seeing.

His neighbors, then, and the people who had seen him begging before this, asked, “Isn't this the man who used to sit and beg?”

Some said, “He is the one,” but others said, “No he isn't; he just looks like him.”

So the man himself said, “I am the man.”

10 “How is it that you can now see?” they asked him.

11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made some mud, rubbed it on my eyes, and told me to go to Siloam and wash my face. So I went, and as soon as I washed, I could see.”

12 “Where is he?” they asked.

“I don't know,” he answered.

The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

13 Then they took to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 The day that Jesus made the mud and cured him of his blindness was a Sabbath. 15 The Pharisees, then, asked the man again how he had received his sight. He told them, “He put some mud on my eyes; I washed my face, and now I can see.”

16 Some of the Pharisees said, “The man who did this cannot be from God, for he does not obey the Sabbath law.”

Others, however, said, “How could a man who is a sinner perform such miracles as these?” And there was a division among them.

17 So the Pharisees asked the man once more, “You say he cured you of your blindness—well, what do you say about him?”

“He is a prophet,” the man answered.

18 The Jewish authorities, however, were not willing to believe that he had been blind and could now see, until they called his parents 19 and asked them, “Is this your son? You say that he was born blind; how is it, then, that he can now see?”

20 His parents answered, “We know that he is our son, and we know that he was born blind. 21 But we do not know how it is that he is now able to see, nor do we know who cured him of his blindness. Ask him; he is old enough, and he can answer for himself!” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities, who had already agreed that anyone who said he believed that Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. 23 That is why his parents said, “He is old enough; ask him!”

24 A second time they called back the man who had been born blind, and said to him, “Promise before God that you will tell the truth! We know that this man who cured you is a sinner.”

25 “I do not know if he is a sinner or not,” the man replied. “One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I see.”

26 “What did he do to you?” they asked. “How did he cure you of your blindness?”

27 “I have already told you,” he answered, “and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Maybe you, too, would like to be his disciples?”

28 They insulted him and said, “You are that fellow's disciple; but we are Moses' disciples. 29 We know that God spoke to Moses; as for that fellow, however, we do not even know where he comes from!”

30 The man answered, “What a strange thing that is! You do not know where he comes from, but he cured me of my blindness! 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners; he does listen to people who respect him and do what he wants them to do. 32 Since the beginning of the world nobody has ever heard of anyone giving sight to a person born blind. 33 Unless this man came from God, he would not be able to do a thing.”

34 They answered, “You were born and brought up in sin—and you are trying to teach us?” And they expelled him from the synagogue.

Spiritual Blindness

35 When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

36 The man answered, “Tell me who he is, sir, so that I can believe in him!”

37 Jesus said to him, “You have already seen him, and he is the one who is talking with you now.”

38 “I believe, Lord!” the man said, and knelt down before Jesus.

39 Jesus said, “I came to this world to judge, so that the blind should see and those who see should become blind.”

40 Some Pharisees who were there with him heard him say this and asked him, “Surely you don't mean that we are blind, too?”

41 Jesus answered, “If you were blind, then you would not be guilty; but since you claim that you can see, this means that you are still guilty.”

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, (A)“Rabbi, (B)who sinned, (C)this man or (D)his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but (E)that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must (F)work the works of him who sent me (G)while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, (H)I am the light of the world.” Having said these things, (I)he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. (J)Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in (K)the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and (L)came back seeing.

The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, (M)“Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” 10 So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, (N)“The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 (O)Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 (P)So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not (Q)from God, (R)for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, (S)“How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And (T)there was a division among them. 17 So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, (U)“He is a prophet.”

18 (V)The Jews[a] did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21 But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” 22 (His parents said these things (W)because they feared the Jews, for (X)the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should (Y)confess Jesus[b] to be Christ, (Z)he was to be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, (AA)“He is of age; ask him.”)

24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, (AB)“Give glory to God. We know that (AC)this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I (AD)was blind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, (AE)“I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” 28 And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but (AF)we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, (AG)we do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Why, this is (AH)an amazing thing! (AI)You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that (AJ)God does not listen to sinners, but (AK)if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 (AL)If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, (AM)“You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they (AN)cast him out.

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in (AO)the Son of Man?”[c] 36 He answered, (AP)“And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and (AQ)it is he who is speaking to you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, (AR)“For judgment I came into this world, (AS)that those who do not see may see, and (AT)those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, (AU)“Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, (AV)you would have no guilt;[d] but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

Footnotes

  1. John 9:18 Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time; also verse 22
  2. John 9:22 Greek him
  3. John 9:35 Some manuscripts the Son of God
  4. John 9:41 Greek you would not have sin