John 9 (New American Standard)

Healing the Man Born Blind

1 As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, "¹Rabbi, who sinned, ²this man or his ³parents, that he would be born blind ?" 3 Jesus answered, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents ; but it was so ⁴that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 "We must work the works of Him who sent Me ⁵as long as it is day ; night is coming when no one can work. 5 "While I am in the world, I am ⁶the Light of the world." 6 When He had said this, He ⁷spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes, 7 and said to him, "Go, wash in ⁸the pool of Siloam " (which is translated, Sent ). So he went away and ⁹washed, and ¹⁰came back seeing. 8 Therefore the neighbors, and those who previously saw him as a beggar, were saying, "Is not this the one who used to ¹¹sit and beg ?" 9 Others were saying, "This is he," still others were saying, "No, but he is like him." ^aHe 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 clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, 'Go to ¹²Siloam and wash '; so I went away and washed, and I received sight." 12 They said to him, "Where is He?" He said, "I do not know."

Controversy over the Man

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who was formerly blind. 14 ¹³Now it was a Sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15 ¹⁴Then the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, "He applied clay 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 ¹⁵does not keep the Sabbath." But others were saying, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such ^b16signs ?" And ¹⁷there was a division among them. 17 So they said to the blind man ¹⁸again, "What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes ?" And he said, "He is a ¹⁹prophet." 18 ²⁰The Jews then did not believe it of 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 questioned them, saying, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind ? Then how does he now see ?" 20 His parents answered them 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 ²¹were afraid of the Jews ; for the Jews ²²had already agreed that if anyone confessed Him to be ^cChrist, ²³he was to be put out of the synagogue. 23 For this reason his parents said, "²⁴He is of age ; ask him." 24 So a second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, "²⁵Give glory to God ; we know that ²⁶this 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, "²⁷I told you already and you did not ²⁸listen ; why do you want to hear it again ? You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?" 28 They reviled him and said, "You are His disciple, but ²⁹we are disciples of Moses. 29 "We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, ³⁰we do not know where He is from." 30 The man answered and said to them, "Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes. 31 "We know that ³¹God does not hear sinners ; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. 32 "^dSince the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33 "³²If this man were not from God, He could do nothing ." 34 They answered him, "³³You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?" So they ³⁴put him out.

Jesus Affirms His Deity

35 Jesus heard that they had ³⁵put him out, and finding him, He said, "Do you believe in the ³⁶Son of Man ?" 36 He answered, "³⁷Who is He, ^eLord, that I may believe in Him?" 37 Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him, and ³⁸He is the one who is talking with you." 38 And he said, "Lord, I believe." And he ³⁹worshiped Him. 39 And Jesus said, "⁴⁰For judgment I came into this world, so that ⁴¹those who do not see may see, and that ⁴²those who see may become blind." 40 Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, "⁴³We are not blind too, are we?" 41 Jesus said to them, "⁴⁴If you were blind, you would have no sin ; but ^fsince you say, '⁴⁵We see,' your sin remains.