Chapter XII

CHRIST CURING A MAN BORN BLIND, AND HIS PARABLE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD.

1 [9:1]AND passing by he saw a man that was blind from birth; [9:2]and his disciples asked him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? [9:3]Jesus answered, Neither did this man sin, nor his parents, but that the works of God might appear in him. [9:4]I must perform the works of him that sent me, while it is day; night comes when no man can work. [9:5]While I am in the world I am the light of the world. [9:6]Saying these things he spit on the ground, and made a paste of the spittle, and put the paste on his eyes, [9:7]and 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 [9:8]Then the neighbors and those who had seen him before, because he was a beggar, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? [9:9]Some said, This is he; others said, No, but he is like him; he said, I am he. [9:10]Then they said to him, How then were your eyes opened? [9:11]He 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. [9:12]They said to him, Where is he? He said, I know not.

3 [9:13]They brought to the Pharisees him that was formerly blind; [9:14]and it was on the sabbath when Jesus made the paste and opened his eyes. [9:15]Then 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. [9:16]Then 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. [9:17]They 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 [9:18]Then 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. [9:19]And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, of whom you say that he was born blind? How then does he now see? [9:20]His parents answered and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; [9:21]but 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. [9:22]His 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; [9:23] therefore his parents said, He is of age, ask him.

5 [9:24]Then 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. [9:25]Then he answered, Whether he is a sinner I know not; one thing I know, that having been blind, I now see. [9:26]Then they said to him, What did he do to you? how did he open your eyes? [9:27]He 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? [9:28]They reproached him, and said, You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. [9:29]We know that God spoke to Moses, but we know not whence this man is. [9:30]The man answered and said to them, It is a strange thing, that you know not whence he is, and he has opened my eyes. [9:31]We know that God hears not sinners; but if one is a worshipper of God, and does his will, him he hears. [9:32]Since the world began it has not been heard that any one opened the eyes of one born blind; [9:33]unless this man was from God he would have been able to do nothing. [9:34]They answered and said to him, You were born entirely in sins, and do you teach us? And they cast him without.

6 [9:35]Jesus heard that they had cast him without, and finding him he said to him, Do you believe in the Son of God? [9:36]And he answered and said, Who is he, sir, that I shall believe on him? [9:37]Jesus said to him, You have both seen him, and he that speaks to you is he. [9:38]And he said, Lord, I believe, and worshipped him. [9:39]And Jesus said, I came into this world for judgment, that those not seeing may see, and those seeing become blind.

7 [9:40]And the Pharisees who were with him heard these things and said to him, Are we also blind? [9:41]Jesus said to them, If you were blind you would not have had sin; but now you say, We see, your sin remains. [10:1]I 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; [10:2]but he that enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. [10:3]To him the gate-keeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his sheep by name, and leads them out. [10:4]When he puts out all his sheep he goes before them, and the sheep follow him; for they know his voice. [10:5]But a stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers. [10:6]This parable spoke Jesus to them, but they knew not what the words which he spoke to them meant.

8 [10:7]Then said Jesus to them again, I tell you most truly, I am the door of the sheep. [10:8]All who came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep have not heard them. [10:9]I am the door; by me if any one enters in he shall be saved, and go in and out, and find pasturage. [10:10]The thief comes not, except to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

9 [10:11]I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. [10:12]But 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; [10:13]for he is a hired servant and cares not for the sheep. [10:14]I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, [10:15]as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I give my life for the sheep.

10 [10:16]And 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. [10:17]Therefore my Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it again. [10:18]No 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. [10:19]There was a division again among the Jews on account of these words; [10:20]and many of them said, He has a demon, and is mad; why do you hear him? [10:21]Others said, These are not the words of a demoniac; can a demon open the eyes of the blind?