Explore the Bible
Read
Up Next
John 9:13-34
The Pharisees Try To Find Out
13-14The day when Jesus made the mud and healed the man was a Sabbath. So the people took the man to the Pharisees. 15They asked him how he was able to see, and he answered, “Jesus made some mud and smeared it on my eyes. Then after I washed it off, I could see.”
16Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus doesn't come from God. If he did, he would not break the law of the Sabbath.”
Others asked, “How could someone who is a sinner work such a miracle?”
Since the Pharisees could not agree among themselves, 17they asked the man, “What do you say about this one who healed your eyes?”
“He is a prophet!” the man told them.
18But the Jewish leaders would not believe that the man had once been blind. They sent for his parents 19and asked them, “Is this the son that you said was born blind? How can he now see?”
20The man's parents answered, “We are certain that he is our son, and we know that he was born blind. 21But we don't know how he got his sight or who gave it to him. Ask him! He is old enough to speak for himself.”
22-23The man's parents said this because they were afraid of their leaders. The leaders had already agreed that no one was to have anything to do with anyone who said Jesus was the Messiah.
24The leaders called the man back and said, “Swear by God to tell the truth! We know that Jesus is a sinner.”
25The man replied, “I don't know if he is a sinner or not. All I know is that I used to be blind, but now I can see!”
26“What did he do to you?” they asked. “How did he heal your eyes?”
27The man answered, “I have already told you once, and you refused to listen. Why do you want me to tell you again? Do you also want to become his disciples?”
28The leaders insulted the man and said, “You are his follower! We are followers of Moses. 29We are sure God spoke to Moses, but we don't even know where Jesus comes from.”
30“How strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don't know where he comes from. 31We know that God listens only to people who love and obey him. God doesn't listen to sinners. 32And this is the first time in history anyone has ever given sight to someone born blind. 33Jesus could not do anything unless he came from God.”
34The leaders told the man, “You have been a sinner since the day you were born! Do you think you can teach us anything?” Then they said, “You can never come back into any of our synagogues!”
John 9:13-34
The Pharisees investigate the healing
13They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. ‘He put mud on my eyes,’ the man replied, ‘and I washed, and now I see.’
16Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.’
But others asked, ‘How can a sinner perform such signs?’ So they were divided.
17Then 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.’
18They 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. 21But 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.’ 22His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23That was why his parents said, ‘He is of age; ask him.’
24A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. ‘Give glory to God by telling the truth,’ they said. ‘We know this man is a sinner.’
25He replied, ‘Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!’
26Then they asked him, ‘What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?’
27He answered, ‘I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?’
28Then they hurled insults at him and said, ‘You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.’
30The man answered, ‘Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. 32Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.’
34To this they replied, ‘You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!’ And they threw him out.