BWE - John - 9

9:1  On his way out of the temple Jesus saw a man who had been born blind.

9:2  His disciples asked Jesus, ‘Master, was this man born blind because of the wrong things he did, or was it the wrong things his parents did?’

9:3  Jesus answered, ‘It was not that he or his parents did any wrong thing. But it was so that people would see what God will do in him.

9:4  There is one who has sent me. I must do his work while it is still daylight. Night is coming. Then it will be too dark to work.

9:5  As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.’

9:6  When Jesus had said this, he spat on the ground. Then he put some of the wet dirt on the man’s eyes.

9:7  And he said, ‘Go. Wash your eyes in that water hole called Siloam.’ (Siloam means Sent.) The man went and washed his eyes. After that, he was able to see.

9:8  His neighbours and other people had seen him when he was blind. They said, ‘Is not this the same man who used to sit here and beg?’

9:9  Some people said, ‘Yes, this is the same man.’ Others said, ‘He is like that man.’ But the man himself said, ‘I am that man.’

9:10  They asked him, ‘How is it that you can see now?’

9:11  He answered them, ‘That man whose name is Jesus made some mud. He rubbed it on my eyes and told me to go and wash them in the water hole Siloam. And when I had washed my eyes, I could see.’

9:12  ‘Where is the man?’ they asked. He said, ‘I do not know.’

9:13  They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.

9:14  The day Jesus made the mud and healed the man was the Sabbath day.

9:15  Then the Pharisees also asked the man, ‘How is it that you can see now?’ He answered them, ‘The man put mud on my eyes. I washed my eyes and now I can see.’

9:16  Then some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God. He does not obey the Sabbath day law.’ The others said, ‘But how can a bad man do such a big work?’ So the Pharisees did not agree together in what they thought about Jesus.

9:17  Then they asked the man who had been born blind, ‘What do you say about the man who healed you?’ He answered, ‘I say he is a prophet from God.’

9:18  But the leaders of the Jews did not really believe what they heard about the man. They did not believe that first he had been blind and now was able to see. So they called the parents of the man who could now see.

9:19  ‘Tell us,’ they said. ‘Is this your son who you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?’

9:20  The parents answered, ‘We know that this is our son. And we know that he was born blind.

9:21  But we do not know how it is that he can now see. We do not know who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to talk for himself.’

9:22  The parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. They knew that the leaders of the Jews had already agreed that if anyone said Jesus is the Christ, they would be put out of the meeting place.

9:23  That is why the parents said, ‘He is old enough to talk for himself. Ask him.’

9:24  Then again they called the man who had been blind. They said to him, ‘You must praise God for this. We know that the man who healed you is a bad man.’

9:25  He answered them, ‘I do not know if he is a bad man or not. But one thing I do know. I know that first I was blind, but now I can see.’

9:26  Then they said to him again, ‘What did he do to you? How did he heal you?’

9:27  He answered them, ‘I told you already. You did not listen. Why do you want me to tell you again? Do you also want to be his disciples?’

9:28  This made them angry. They said, ‘You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.

9:29  We know that God talked to Moses. But this man, we do not know where he comes from.’

9:30  The man who had been blind said, ‘This surprises me! He healed me and yet you do not know where he comes from!

9:31  We know that God does not listen to bad people. But God listens to the person who shows him respect and who obeys him.

9:32  Before this, no one has ever healed a man who was born blind. Such a thing has not been heard of since the world was made.

9:33  If this man did not come from God, he could not do anything like this.’

9:34  They answered, ‘You have been a bad man ever since you were born! Now are you trying to teach us?’ And with that they put him out of the meeting place.

9:35  Jesus heard that the people had put him out. When he found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of God?’

9:36  He answered, ‘Sir, who is the Son of God? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.’

9:37  Jesus said, ‘You have already seen him. The person who is talking to you now, he is the Son of God.’

9:38  The man said, ‘Sir, I do believe.’ He kneeled down in front of Jesus and worshipped him.

9:39  Jesus said, ‘I came into the world so that people may be judged. I came so that those who are blind may see. And I came so that those who see may become blind.’

9:40  Some of the Pharisees were with Jesus and heard him say this. They asked him, ‘You mean to say that we are blind also?’

9:41  Jesus answered them, ‘If you agreed that you were blind, you would not be bad people. But you say, “We can see.” So then you are still bad people.’