John 9

¹ As he went along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth.

² His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should have been bornblind?'

³ 'Neither he nor his parents sinned,' Jesus answered, 'he was born blind so that the works of God mightbe revealed in him.

⁴ 'As long as day lasts we must carry out the work of the one who sent me; the night wil soon be herewhen no one can work.

⁵ As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world.'

⁶ Having said this, he spat on the ground, made a paste with the spittle, put this over the eyes of the blindman,

⁷ and said to him, 'Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam' (the name means 'one who has been sent'). So hewent off and washed and came back able to see.

⁸ His neighbours and the people who used to see him before (for he was a beggar) said, 'Isn't this theman who used to sit and beg?'

⁹ Some said, 'Yes, it is the same one.' Others said, 'No, but he looks just like him.' The man himself said,'Yes, I am the one.'

¹⁰ So they said to him, 'Then how is it that your eyes were opened?'

¹¹ He answered, 'The man cal ed Jesus made a paste, daubed my eyes with it and said to me, "Go offand wash at Siloam"; so I went, and when I washed I gained my sight.'

¹² They asked, 'Where is he?' He answered, 'I don't know.'

¹³ They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.

¹⁴ It had been a Sabbath day when Jesus made the paste and opened the man's eyes,

¹⁵ so when the Pharisees asked him how he had gained his sight, he said, 'He put a paste on my eyes,and I washed, and I can see.'

¹⁶ Then some of the Pharisees said, 'That man cannot be from God: he does not keep the Sabbath.'Others said, 'How can a sinner produce signs like this?' And there was division among them.

¹⁷ So they spoke to the blind man again, 'What have you to say about him yourself, now that he hasopened your eyes?' The man answered, 'He is a prophet.'

¹⁸ However, the Jews would not believe that the man had been blind without first sending for the parentsof the man who had gained his sight and

¹⁹ asking them, 'Is this man really the son of yours who you say was born blind? If so, how is it that he isnow able to see?'

²⁰ His parents answered, 'We know he is our son and we know he was born blind,

²¹ but how he can see, we don't know, nor who opened his eyes. Ask him. He is old enough: let himspeak for himself.'

²² His parents spoke like this out of fear of the Jews, who had already agreed to ban from the synagogueanyone who should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ.

²³ This was why his parents said, 'He is old enough; ask him.'

²⁴ So the Jews sent for the man again and said to him, 'Give glory to God! We are satisfied that this manis a sinner.'

²⁵ The man answered, 'Whether he is a sinner I don't know; al I know is that I was blind and now I cansee.'

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

²⁷ He replied, 'I have told you once and you wouldn't listen. Why do you want to hear it all again? Do youwant to become his disciples yourselves?'

²⁸ At this they hurled abuse at him, 'It is you who are his disciple, we are disciples of Moses:

²⁹ we know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this man, we don't know where he comes from.'

³⁰ The man replied, 'That is just what is so amazing! You don't know where he comes from and he hasopened my eyes!

³¹ We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but God does listen to people who are devout and do hiswil .

³² Ever since the world began it is unheard of for anyone to open the eyes of someone born blind;

³³ if this man were not from God, he wouldn't have been able to do anything.'

³⁴ They retorted, 'Are you trying to teach us, and you a sinner through and through ever since you wereborn!' And they ejected him.

³⁵ Jesus heard they had ejected him, and when he found him he said to him, 'Do you believe in the Sonof man?'

³⁶ 'Sir,' the man replied, 'tel me who he is so that I may believe in him.'

³⁷ Jesus said, 'You have seen him; he is speaking to you.'

³⁸ The man said, 'Lord, I believe,' and worshipped him.

³⁹ Jesus said: It is for judgement that I have come into this world, so that those without sight may see andthose with sight may become blind.

⁴⁰ Hearing this, some Pharisees who were present said to him, 'So we are blind, are we?'

⁴¹ Jesus replied: If you were blind, you would not be guilty, but since you say, 'We can see,' your guiltremains.