John 9:1-10:21

New International Version

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi,^(A) who sinned,^(B) this man^(C) or his parents,^(D) that he was born blind?”

³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.^{(E) 4} As long as it is day,^(F) we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”^(G)

⁶ After saying this, he spit^(H) on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ⁷ “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam”^(I) (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.^(J)

⁸ His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?”^{(K) 9} Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

¹⁰ “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

¹¹ He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”^(L)

¹² “Where is this man?” they asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said.

The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

¹³ They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. ¹⁴ Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath.^{(M) 15} Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight.^(N) “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”

¹⁶ Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”^(O)

But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?”^(P) So they were divided.^(Q)

¹⁷ Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”

The man replied, “He is a prophet.”^(R)

¹⁸ They^(S) still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. ¹⁹ “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”

²⁰ “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. ²¹ But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” ²² His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders,^(T) who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out^(U) of the synagogue.^{(V) 23} That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”^(W)

²⁴ A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,”^(X) they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”^(Y)

²⁵ He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

²⁶ Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

²⁷ He answered, “I have told you already^(Z) and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”

²⁸ Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses!^{(AA) 29} We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”^(AB)

³⁰ The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. ³¹ We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.^{(AC) 32} Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. ³³ If this man were not from God,^(AD) he could do nothing.”

³⁴ To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth;^(AE) how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.^(AF)

Spiritual Blindness

³⁵ Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe^(AG) in the Son of Man?”^(AH)

³⁶ “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”^(AI)

³⁷ Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”^(AJ)

³⁸ Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.^(AK)

³⁹ Jesus said,^[a] “For judgment^(AL) I have come into this world,^(AM) so that the blind will see^(AN) and those who see will become blind.”^(AO)

⁴⁰ Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”^(AP)

⁴¹ Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.^(AQ)

The Good Shepherd and His Sheep

10 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.^{(AR) 2} The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.^{(AS) 3} The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice.^(AT) He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.^{(AU) 4} When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.^{(AV) 5} But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” ⁶ Jesus used this figure of speech,^(AW) but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.^(AX)

⁷ Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am^(AY) the gate^(AZ) for the sheep. ⁸ All who have come before me^(BA) are thieves and robbers,^(BB) but the sheep have not listened to them. ⁹ I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.^[b] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life,^(BC) and have it to the full.^(BD)

¹¹ “I am^(BE) the good shepherd.^(BF) The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.^{(BG) 12} The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away.^(BH) Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. ¹³ The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd;^(BI) I know my sheep^(BJ) and my sheep know me— ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father^(BK)—and I lay down my life for the sheep.^{(BL) 16} I have other sheep^(BM) that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock^(BN) and one shepherd.^{(BO) 17} The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life^(BP)—only to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.^(BQ) I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”^(BR)

¹⁹ The Jews who heard these words were again divided.^{(BS) 20} Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed^(BT) and raving mad.^(BU) Why listen to him?”

²¹ But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon.^(BV) Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”^(BW)