John:9-10

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* Now as he was passing along he saw a man , blind from birth . * "Rabbi ," his disciples asked him , "who sinned , this man or his parents , that he was born blind ?" * "Neither he nor his parents sinned ." replied Jesus ; "it happened that the works of God might be made manifest in him . * "I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day ; night is coming , when no man can work . * "While I am in the world , I am the Light of the world ." * When he had thus spoken he spat on the ground , and made clay with the spittle , and smeared the clay on the mans eyes . * Then he said to him , "Go , wash in the pool of Siloam " (a word which means "sent "). So the man went and washed his eyes , and came back seeing . * Upon this the neighbors and those who used to know him by sight as a beggar , began asking , "Is not this the man who used to sit and beg ?" * Some said , "It is he ." Others said , "No , but he looks like him ." "I am the man ," he said . * So they asked him , "How then were your eyes opened ?" * He answered . "The man who is called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes , and said to me , Go to Siloam and wash ;so I went and washed and received my sight ." * "Where is he ?" they asked . "I do not know ," answered the man . * Then they brought the man who had been blind to the Pharisees . * Now it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes ; * so the Pharisees again began to ask him questions about how he had regained his sight ; and he said to them , "He put clay on my eyes , and I washed them , and now I see ." * Then some of the Pharisees began to say , "This man in not from God , because he does not keep the Sabbath ." But others said , "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs ?" * So there was a difference of opinion among them . Accordingly they said to the blind man , "What have you to say about him , now that he has opened your eyes ?" "He is a prophet ," he answered . * The Jews , however , did not believe about him that he was blind and had received his sight , until they called the parents of the man whose sight had been restored , * and questioned them . "Is this your son ," they said , "who you say was born blind ? How then does he now see ?" * Then in reply his parents said . "We know that this is our son , and that he was born blind ; * "but how he now sees we do not know , nor do we know who has opened his eyes . Ask him , himself . He is of age . He will speak for himself ." * This his parents said because they were afraid of the Jews , for the Jews had already agreed that if any one should confess that he was the Christ , he should be expelled from the synagogue . * It was because this that his parents said . "He is of age . Ask him , himself ." * So the Jews a second time summoned the man who had been blind , and said to him . * "Give glory to God ! we know that this man is a sinner ." Upon this the blind man answered . "I do not know if he is a sinner . One thing I do know , that once I was blind , and know I can see ." * "What was it he did to you ?" they asked him ; "How did he open your eyes ?" * He answered . "I have told you already , and you did not listen . Why do you wish to hear it again ? Can it be that you , too , wish to become his disciples ?" * Then they stormed at him . "You are his disciple . We are Moses disciples . * "We know that God spoke to Moses . But this fellow ! We do not know where he comes from ." * "This is truly astonishing ," said the man in reply , "that you do not know where he is from , and yet he has opened my eyes . * "We know that God does not listen to sinners , but if any one is God - fearing and does his will , to such he listens . * "Since the beginning of the world such a thing as opening the eyes of one who was born blind was never heard of . * "If this man had not come of God he could have done nothing ." * They answered , "You were wholly born in sins , and do you teach us ?" Then they cast him out . * Jesus heard that they had cast him out ; and when he had found him , he said , "Do you believe in the Son of man ?" * "Who is he , Sir ," he replied , "that I may believe on him ." * "You have already seen him ," Jesus answered , "and it is he who now speaks to you ." * "I do believe , Sir ," said the man , and he prostrated himself at his feet . And Jesus said , * "For judgment am I come into the world , to make the sightless see , and to make the seeing blind ." * Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and asked , "We are not blind , are we ?" * "If you were blind ," Jesus answered them , "you would have no sin . But now you are declaring , We see ;so your sin remains . * "In solemn truth I tell you that whoever does not enter the sheepfold by the door , but climbs up some other way , that man is a thief and a robber ; * "but he who comes in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep . * "The porter opens the door for him ; the sheep listen to his voice ; and he calls his own sheep by name , and leads them out . * "When he has brought all his own sheep , he walks before them and the sheep follow him because they know his voice . * "But a stranger they will not follow , but flee from him , because they do not know the voice of strangers ." * Jesus told them this parable , but they did not understand what he was talking about ; so he said to them again . * "In solemn truth I tell you that I am the Door of the sheep . * "All that came before me are thieves and robbers , but the sheep did not listen to them . * "I am the Door . Whoever enters by me shall be saved , and he shall go in and come out and find pasture . * "The thief never comes except to steal and kill and destroy . I am come that they may have life , and may have it in abundance . * "I am the good shepherd . The good shepherd lays down his very life for the sheep . * "The hired servant , since he is not a shepherd and does not own his sheep , leaves the sheep and flees when he sees a wolf coming - and the wolf worries them and scatters them . * "He is only a hired servant , and the sheep are no care to him . * "I am the good shepherd . I know my sheep , and my sheep know me ; * just as the Father knows me , I know the Father , and I lay down my life for the sheep . * "I have other sheep also , which do not belong to this fold . I must bring them too , and they will listen to my voice , and they will become one flock , one shepherd . * "The Father loves me for this , because I am laying down my life that I may take it again . * "No man is taking it away from me . I am laying it down on my own accord . I have authority to lay it down , and I have authority to take it again . I received this commandment from my Father ." * The Jews were again divided over these words . * Many of them kept saying . "He has a demon and is mad ! Why do you listen to him ?" * Others were saying . "These are not the words of one demon-possessed . Can a demoniac open the eyes of the blind ?" * Then came the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem . * It was winter , and Jesus used to walk in the Temple , in Solomons Portico . * Then all the Jews encircled him and kept asking him . "How long are you going to keep us in suspense ? If you are the Christ , tell us plainly ." * Jesus answered them . "I have told you , and you do not believe . The works which I am doing in my Fathers name , these bear witness concerning me . * "But you do not believe , because you are not of my sheep . * "My sheep listen to my voice , and I know them and they follow me . * "I am giving them eternal life , and they shall never perish , nor shall any one snatch them out of my hand . * "My Father who has given them to me is stronger than all , and no one can snatch them out of my Fathers hand . * "I and my Father are one ." * The Jews again took stones with which to stone him . Jesus said to them . * "I have shown you many good deeds from my Father . For which of these are you going to stone me ?" * "We are not going to stone you for a good deed ," answered the Jews , "but for blasphemy , because you , a mere man , are making yourself God ." * "Is it written in your law ," replied Jesus , "I said , You are gods ? * "If those to whom the word of God came are called gods (and the Scripture cannot be annulled ), * do you mean to tell me , whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world , You are blaspheming , because I said , I am the Son of God ? * "If I am not doing the deeds of my Father , do not believe me . * "But if I am doing them , then though you believe not me , believe the deeds , in order that you may come to know and keep on clearly understanding that the Father is in me and I am in the Father ." * Then again they attempted to seize him , but he escaped out of their hands , * and went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first , and there he remained . * Many who came to him said , "John did not perform any signs , but everything he said about this man was true ." * And many believed on him there . * Now a man named Lazarus was ill . He was from Bethany , the village of Mary and her sister Martha

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