Twenty - John - 9

9:1  As Jesus passed by, he saw a man who had been blind from his birth.

9:2  "Rabbi," asked his disciples, "who was it that sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

9:3  "Neither the man nor the parents," replied Jesus; "but he was born blind that the work of God should be made plain in him.

9:4  We must do the work of him who sent me, while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.

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

9:6  Saying this, Jesus spat on the ground, made clay with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes.

9:7  "Go," he said, "and wash your eyes in the Bath of Siloam." So the man went and washed his eyes, and returned able to see.

9:8  Upon this his neighbors, and those who had formerly known him by sight as a beggar, exclaimed. "Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?"

9:9  "Yes," some said, "it is"; while others said. "No, but he is like him." The man himself said. "I am he."

9:10  "How did you get your sight, then?" they asked.

9:11  "The man whom they call Jesus," he answered, "made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me 'Go to Siloam and wash your eyes.' So I went and washed my eyes, and gained my sight."

9:12  "Where is he?" they asked. I do not know," he answered.

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

9:14  Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and gave him his sight.

9:15  So the Pharisees also questioned the man as to how he had gained his sight. "He put clay on my eyes," he answered, "and I washed them, and I can see."

9:16  "The man cannot be from God," said some of the Pharisees, "for he does not keep the Sabbath." "How is it possible," retorted others, "for a bad man to give signs like this?"

9:17  So there was a difference of opinion among them, and they again questioned the man; "What do you yourself say about him, for it is to you that he has given sight?"

9:18  The Jews, however, refused to believe that he had been blind and had gained his sight, until they had called his parents and questioned them.

9:19  "Is this your son," they asked, "who you say was born blind? If so, how is it that he can see now?"

9:20  "We know that this is our son," answered the parents, "and that he was born blind;

9:21  But how it is that he can see now we do not know; nor do we know who it was that gave him his sight. Ask him--he is old enough- -he will tell you about himself."

9:22  His parents spoke in this way because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that, if any one should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ, he should be expelled from their synagogues.

9:23  This was why his parents said 'He is old enough; ask him.'

9:24  So the Jews again called the man who had been blind, and said to him. "Give God the praise; we know that this is a bad man."

9:25  "I know nothing about his being a bad man," he replied; "one thing I do know, that although I was blind, now I can see."

9:26  "What did he do to you?" they asked. "How did he give you your sight?"

9:27  "I told you just now," he answered, "and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Surely you also do not want to become his disciples?"

9:28  "You are his disciple," they retorted scornfully; "but we are disciples of Moses.

9:29  We know that God spoke to Moses; but, as for this man, we do not know where he comes from."

9:30  "Well," the man replied, "this is very strange; you do not know where he comes from, and yet he has given me my sight!

9:31  We know that God never listens to bad men, but, when a man is god- fearing and does God's will, God listens to him.

9:32  Since the world began, such a thing was never heard of as any one's giving sight to a person born blind.

9:33  If this man had not been from God, he could not have done anything at all."

9:34  "You," they retorted, "were born totally depraved; and are you trying to teach us?" So they expelled him.

9:35  Jesus heard of their having put him out; and, when he had found the man, he asked. "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"

9:36  "Tell me who he is, Sir," he replied, "so that I may believe in him."

9:37  "Not only have you seen him," said Jesus; "but it is he who is now speaking to you."

9:38  "Then, Sir, I do believe," said the man, bowing to the ground before him;

9:39  And Jesus added. "It was to put men to the test that I came into this world, in order that those that cannot see should see, and that those that can see should become blind."

9:40  Hearing this, some of the Pharisees who were with him said. "Then are we blind too?"

9:41  "If you had been blind," replied Jesus, "you would have had no sin to answer for; but, as it is, you say 'We can see,' and so your sin remains.