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)

Further Conflict Over Jesus’ Claims

²² Then came the Festival of Dedication^[c] at Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³ and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.^{(BX) 24} The Jews^(BY) who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”^(BZ)

²⁵ Jesus answered, “I did tell you,^(CA) but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me,^{(CB) 26} but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.^{(CC) 27} My sheep listen to my voice; I know them,^(CD) and they follow me.^{(CE) 28} I give them eternal life,^(CF) and they shall never perish;^(CG) no one will snatch them out of my hand.^{(CH) 29} My Father, who has given them to me,^(CI) is greater than all^[d];^(CJ) no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”^(CK)

³¹ Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him,^{(CL) 32} but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”

³³ “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”^(CM)

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law,^(CN) ‘I have said you are “gods”’^[e]?^{(CO) 35} If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God^(CP) came—and Scripture cannot be set aside^(CQ)— ³⁶ what about the one whom the Father set apart^(CR) as his very own^(CS) and sent into the world?^(CT) Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?^{(CU) 37} Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father.^{(CV) 38} But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”^{(CW) 39} Again they tried to seize him,^(CX) but he escaped their grasp.^(CY)

⁴⁰ Then Jesus went back across the Jordan^(CZ) to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, ⁴¹ and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign,^(DA) all that John said about this man was true.”^{(DB) 42} And in that place many believed in Jesus.^(DC)

The Death of Lazarus

11 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany,^(DD) the village of Mary and her sister Martha.^{(DE) 2} (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.)^{(DF) 3} So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love^(DG) is sick.”

⁴ When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory^(DH) so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” ⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶ So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, ⁷ and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”^(DI)

⁸ “But Rabbi,”^(DJ) they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you,^(DK) and yet you are going back?”

⁹ Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light.^{(DL) 10} It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”

¹¹ After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend^(DM) Lazarus has fallen asleep;^(DN) but I am going there to wake him up.”

¹² His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” ¹³ Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.^(DO)

¹⁴ So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, ¹⁵ and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

¹⁶ Then Thomas^(DP) (also known as Didymus^[f]) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus

¹⁷ On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.^{(DQ) 18} Now Bethany^(DR) was less than two miles^[g] from Jerusalem, ¹⁹ and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.^{(DS) 20} When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.^(DT)

²¹ “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.^{(DU) 22} But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”^(DV)

²³ Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

²⁴ Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection^(DW) at the last day.”^(DX)

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am^(DY) the resurrection and the life.^(DZ) The one who believes^(EA) in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing^(EB) in me will never die.^(EC) Do you believe this?”

²⁷ “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah,^(ED) the Son of God,^(EE) who is to come into the world.”^(EF)

²⁸ After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher^(EG) is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” ²⁹ When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. ³⁰ Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him.^{(EH) 31} When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her,^(EI) noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

³² When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”^(EJ)

³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved^(EK) in spirit and troubled.^{(EL) 34} “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

³⁵ Jesus wept.^(EM)

³⁶ Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”^(EN)

³⁷ But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man^(EO) have kept this man from dying?”^(EP)

Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead

³⁸ Jesus, once more deeply moved,^(EQ) came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.^{(ER) 39} “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”^(ES)

⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe,^(ET) you will see the glory of God?”^(EU)

⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up^(EV) and said, “Father,^(EW) I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here,^(EX) that they may believe that you sent me.”^(EY)

⁴³ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”^{(EZ) 44} The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen,^(FA) and a cloth around his face.^(FB)

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

⁴⁵ Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary,^(FC) and had seen what Jesus did,^(FD) believed in him.^{(FE) 46} But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷ Then the chief priests and the Pharisees^(FF) called a meeting^(FG) of the Sanhedrin.^(FH)

“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs.^{(FI) 48} If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”

⁴⁹ Then one of them, named Caiaphas,^(FJ) who was high priest that year,^(FK) spoke up, “You know nothing at all! ⁵⁰ You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”^(FL)

⁵¹ He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, ⁵² and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.^{(FM) 53} So from that day on they plotted to take his life.^(FN)

⁵⁴ Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea.^(FO) Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.

⁵⁵ When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover,^(FP) many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing^(FQ) before the Passover. ⁵⁶ They kept looking for Jesus,^(FR) and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” ⁵⁷ But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.