The Gospel According to St. John

⭑ Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 9 -

As Jesus walked along, he saw a man who had been blind his whole life, since the day he was born.

The disciples asked him, “Teacher, whose sin caused this man to be born blind? Was it this man himself who sinned, or was it his parents?”

Jesus replied, “It was not that either this man or his parents sinned. He was born blind so that today people may see the powerful work God would do in him.

We must do the works of the one who sent me while it is still day. Night is on the way and when it arrives, no one will be able to work.

As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

When he said this, he spit on the ground. He made mud with his saliva, and applied it like a medicine to the man’s eyes.

Then Jesus said to him, “Go and wash in the pool of Siloam!” (The name of the pool means ‘sent’). So the man went and washed in the pool. When he came back, he was able to see.

The man’s neighbors and others who had seen him when he was begging said, “Is that not the man who used to sit here and beg?”

Some said, “He is the one.” Others said, “No, but he just looks like that man.” However, the man himself said, “Yes, I am the man!”

So they said to him, “How is it that you are now able to see?”

He replied, “The man called Jesus made some mud and used it like medicine and put it on my eyes. Then he told me to go to the pool of Siloam and wash. So I went there and washed, and then I could see for the first time.”

They said to him, “Where is that man?” He said, “I do not know.”

The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

Some of the people there took the man to a gathering of the Pharisees.

Now it was on the Sabbath day when Jesus did this miracle.

So the Pharisees asked the man again about how he was now able to see. He said to them, “The man put mud on my eyes and I washed, and now I see.”

Some of the Pharisees said, “We know this man Jesus is not from God because he does not keep the Sabbath day.” Others from that group asked, “If he were a sinner, how could he do such works of power that everyone sees?” So there was a difference of opinion among the Pharisees.

They asked the blind man again, “What do you say about him, since he is the one who restored your sight?” The man said, “He is a prophet.”

Now the Jews who were opposed to Jesus did not believe the man had been blind and then became able to see. So they sent someone to bring in the man’s parents so that they could be questioned also.

They asked his parents, “Is this your son? Do you say that he was blind from the day he was born? How, then, is he able to see?”

His parents replied, “We know that this is our son. We know that he was blind when he was born.

Nevertheless, we do not know how he is now able to see. We also do not know who healed his eyes. Ask him, he is old enough to speak for himself.”

The Jews who were against Jesus had previously agreed with one another that they would take anyone who declared that Jesus was the Messiah and ban him from the synagogue.

That is why his parents said, “Ask him, he is old enough to speak for himself.”

So they called the man who had been blind, and they asked him to come before them a second time. When he got there, they said to him, “Swear to God that you will speak only the truth! We know that this man who healed you is a sinner and that he does not keep the law that Moses gave us.”

He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I used to be blind, but now I see.”

So they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he heal you so that you now see?”

He answered them, “I have told you that already, but you did not believe me. Why do you want me to tell you again? Do you also really want to become his disciples?”

Then they became angry and insulted him: “You are that man’s disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples!

We know that God spoke to Moses; but about this man, we do not even know where he comes from.”

The man replied, “That is very amazing! You do not know where he comes from, but he is the one who opened my eyes so that I can see!

We know that God does not listen to the prayers of sinners, those who ignore his law, but he listens to people who worship him and who do what he wants.

Not since the beginning of the world has it been heard anywhere that someone was able to open the eyes of a man who was blind from birth!

If this man had not come from God, he could do nothing like that!”

They replied to him, “You were born in sin and have lived your whole life entirely in sin! Do you think you are qualified to teach us?” Then they banned him from the synagogue.

Spiritual Blindness

Jesus heard about what the Pharisees did to the man he healed, how they threw him out of the synagogue. So he went and searched for the man. When he found him, he said to him, “Do you believe in me, the Son of Man?”

The man answered, “Sir, who is he? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.”

Jesus said to him, “You have seen him. He is the one who is speaking to you now.”

The man said, “Lord, I believe.” Then he went down on his knees and worshiped him.

Jesus said, “I have come into this world to judge the world so that those who do not see may see and so that those who see may become blind.”

Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard him say this, and they asked Jesus, “Are we also blind?”

Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt. However, because you now defend yourself and say, ‘We see,’ your guilt is staying with you.

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.”

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

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.”

Then they asked him, “Where is he?” He said, “I don’t know.”

The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

They brought him who had been blind to the Pharisees.

It was a Sabbath when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.

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.”

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.

Therefore they asked the blind man again, “What do you say about him, because he opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”

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,

and asked them, “Is this your son, whom you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”

His parents answered them, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

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.”

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.

Therefore his parents said, “He is of age. Ask him.”

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.”

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.”

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

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?”

They insulted him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.

We know that God has spoken to Moses. But as for this man, we don’t know where he comes from.”

The man answered them, “How amazing! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.

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)

Since the world began it has never been heard of that anyone opened the eyes of someone born blind.

If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

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

Spiritual Blindness

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

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

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

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

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.”

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

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

Footnotes

(a)9:31 ℘ Psalms 66:18; Proverbs 15:29; 28:9