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 Death of Lazarus

11 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany,^(A) the village of Mary and her sister Martha.^{(B) 2} (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.)^{(C) 3} So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love^(D) is sick.”

⁴ When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory^(E) so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” ⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶ So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, ⁷ and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”^(F)

⁸ “But Rabbi,”^(G) they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you,^(H) and yet you are going back?”

⁹ Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light.^{(I) 10} It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”

¹¹ After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend^(J) Lazarus has fallen asleep;^(K) but I am going there to wake him up.”

¹² His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” ¹³ Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.^(L)

¹⁴ So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, ¹⁵ and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

¹⁶ Then Thomas^(M) (also known as Didymus^[a]) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus

¹⁷ On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.^{(N) 18} Now Bethany^(O) was less than two miles^[b] from Jerusalem, ¹⁹ and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.^{(P) 20} When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.^(Q)

²¹ “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.^{(R) 22} But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”^(S)

²³ Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

²⁴ Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection^(T) at the last day.”^(U)

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am^(V) the resurrection and the life.^(W) The one who believes^(X) in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing^(Y) in me will never die.^(Z) Do you believe this?”

²⁷ “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah,^(AA) the Son of God,^(AB) who is to come into the world.”^(AC)

²⁸ After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher^(AD) is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” ²⁹ When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. ³⁰ Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him.^{(AE) 31} When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her,^(AF) noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

³² When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”^(AG)

³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved^(AH) in spirit and troubled.^{(AI) 34} “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

³⁵ Jesus wept.^(AJ)

³⁶ Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”^(AK)

³⁷ But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man^(AL) have kept this man from dying?”^(AM)

Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead

³⁸ Jesus, once more deeply moved,^(AN) came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.^{(AO) 39} “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”^(AP)

⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe,^(AQ) you will see the glory of God?”^(AR)

⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up^(AS) and said, “Father,^(AT) I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here,^(AU) that they may believe that you sent me.”^(AV)

⁴³ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”^{(AW) 44} The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen,^(AX) and a cloth around his face.^(AY)

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

⁴⁵ Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary,^(AZ) and had seen what Jesus did,^(BA) believed in him.^{(BB) 46} But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷ Then the chief priests and the Pharisees^(BC) called a meeting^(BD) of the Sanhedrin.^(BE)

“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs.^{(BF) 48} If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”

⁴⁹ Then one of them, named Caiaphas,^(BG) who was high priest that year,^(BH) spoke up, “You know nothing at all! ⁵⁰ You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”^(BI)

⁵¹ He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, ⁵² and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.^{(BJ) 53} So from that day on they plotted to take his life.^(BK)

⁵⁴ Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea.^(BL) Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.

⁵⁵ When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover,^(BM) many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing^(BN) before the Passover. ⁵⁶ They kept looking for Jesus,^(BO) and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” ⁵⁷ But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.

¹² “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. ¹³ And so you will bear testimony to me.^{(A) 14} But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves.^{(B) 15} For I will give you^(C) words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. ¹⁶ You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends,^(D) and they will put some of you to death. ¹⁷ Everyone will hate you because of me.^{(E) 18} But not a hair of your head will perish.^{(F) 19} Stand firm, and you will win life.^(G)

³³ When they heard this, they were furious^(A) and wanted to put them to death. ³⁴ But a Pharisee named Gamaliel,^(B) a teacher of the law,^(C) who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. ³⁵ Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. ³⁶ Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. ³⁷ After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census^(D) and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. ³⁸ Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.^{(E) 39} But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”^(F)

⁴⁰ His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged.^(G) Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

⁴¹ The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing^(H) because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.^{(I) 42} Day after day, in the temple courts^(J) and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news^(K) that Jesus is the Messiah.^(L)