CHAPTER XII.
CHRIST CURING A MAN BORN BLIND, AND HIS PARABLE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD.
1 9:1AND passing by he saw a man that was blind from birth; 9:2and his disciples asked him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? 9:3Jesus answered, Neither did this man sin, nor his parents, but that the works of God might appear in him. 9:4I must perform the works of him that sent me, while it is day; night comes when no man can work. 9:5While I am in the world I am the light of the world. 9:6Saying these things he spit on the ground, and made a paste of the spittle, and put the paste on his eyes, 9:7and said to him, Go, and wash in the pool of the Siloam; which is interpreted, Sent. Then he went away and washed, and came seeing.
2 9:8Then the neighbors and those who had seen him before, because he was a beggar, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? 9:9Some said, This is he; others said, No, but he is like him; he said, I am he. 9:10Then they said to him, How then were your eyes opened? 9:11He answered, A man called Jesus made paste and anointed my eyes, and said to me, Go to the Siloam and wash; then I went and washed, and obtained sight. 9:12They said to him, Where is he? He said, I know not.
3 9:13They brought to the Pharisees him that was formerly blind; 9:14and it was on the sabbath when Jesus made the paste and opened his eyes. 9:15Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he obtained sight. And he said to them, He put a paste on my eyes, and I washed, and see. 9:16Then some of the Pharisees said, This man is not of God, for he does not keep the sabbath. Others said, How can a sinful man perform such miracles? And there was a division among them. 9:17They said to the blind man again, What do you say of him, because he opened your eyes? And he said, He is a prophet.
4 9:18Then the Jews did not believe of him that he had been blind and received his sight, till they called the parents of him that had received his sight. 9:19And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, of whom you say that he was born blind? How then does he now see? 9:20His parents answered and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 9:21but how he now sees we know not, or who has opened his eyes we know not; ask him, he is of age, he will speak for himself. 9:22His parents said these things because they feared the Jews; for already the Jews had agreed that if any one confessed him to be Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue; 9:23therefore his parents said, He is of age, ask him.
5 9:24Then they called the man who had been blind, a second time, and said to him, Give glory to God; we know that this man is a sinner. 9:25Then he answered, Whether he is a sinner I know not; one thing I know, that having been blind, I now see. 9:26Then they said to him, What did he do to you? how did he open your eyes? 9:27He answered them, I have told you already, and you did not hear; why do you wish to hear again? Do you also wish to be his disciples? 9:28They reproached him, and said, You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 9:29We know that God spoke to Moses, but we know not whence this man is. 9:30The man answered and said to them, It is a strange thing, that you know not whence he is, and he has opened my eyes. 9:31We know that God hears not sinners; but if one is a worshipper of God, and does his will, him he hears. 9:32Since the world began it has not been heard that any one opened the eyes of one born blind; 9:33unless this man was from God he would have been able to do nothing. 9:34They answered and said to him, You were born entirely in sins, and do you teach us? And they cast him without.
6 9:35Jesus heard that they had cast him without, and finding him he said to him, Do you believe in the Son of God? 9:36And he answered and said, Who is he, sir, that I shall believe on him? 9:37Jesus said to him, You have both seen him, and he that speaks to you is he. 9:38And he said, Lord, I believe, and worshipped him. 9:39And Jesus said, I came into this world for judgment, that those not seeing may see, and those seeing become blind.
7 9:40And the Pharisees who were with him heard these things and said to him, Are we also blind? 9:41Jesus said to them, If you were blind you would not have had sin; but now you say, We see, your sin remains. 10:1I tell you most truly, he that enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs in at some other place, he is a thief and robber; 10:2but he that enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 10:3To him the gate-keeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his sheep by name, and leads them out. 10:4When he puts out all his sheep he goes before them, and the sheep follow him; for they know his voice. 10:5But a stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers. 10:6This parable spoke Jesus to them, but they knew not what the words which he spoke to them meant.
8 10:7Then said Jesus to them again, I tell you most truly, I am the door of the sheep. 10:8All who came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep have not heard them. 10:9I am the door; by me if any one enters in he shall be saved, and go in and out, and find pasturage. 10:10The thief comes not, except to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
9 10:11I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. 10:12But the hired servant, and one who is not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf seizes and scatters them; 10:13for he is a hired servant and cares not for the sheep. 10:14I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, 10:15as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I give my life for the sheep.
10 10:16And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; and them I must lead, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one flock, one shepherd. 10:17Therefore my Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it again. 10:18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have a right to lay it down, and I have a right to take it again; this commandment have I received from my Father. 10:19There was a division again among the Jews on account of these words; 10:20and many of them said, He has a demon, and is mad; why do you hear him? 10:21Others said, These are not the words of a demoniac; can a demon open the eyes of the blind?