The Man Born Blind. 1^* As he passed by he saw a man blind from birth.^a 2^* His disciples asked him,^b “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3Jesus answered, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.^c 4We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work.^d 5While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”^e 6When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes,^f 7and said to him, “Go wash^* in the Pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed, and came back able to see.^g

8His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, “Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?” 9Some said, “It is,” but others said, “No, he just looks like him.” He said, “I am.” 10So they said to him, “[So] how were your eyes opened?” 11He replied, “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went there and washed and was able to see.” 12And they said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I don’t know.”

13They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees. 14Now Jesus had made clay^* and opened his eyes on a sabbath.^h 15So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.” 16So some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the sabbath.” [But] others said, “How can a sinful man do such signs?” And there was a division among them.ⁱ 17So they said to the blind man again, “What do you have to say about him, since he opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”^j

18Now the Jews did not believe that he had been blind and gained his sight until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight. 19They asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How does he now see?” 20His parents answered and said, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21We do not know how he sees now, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him, he is of age; he can speak for himself.” 22^{* k} His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone acknowledged him as the Messiah, he would be expelled from the synagogue. 23For this reason his parents said, “He is of age; question him.”^l

24So a second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give God the praise!^* We know that this man is a sinner.”^m 25He replied, “If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see.” 26So they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27He answered them, “I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” 28They ridiculed him and said, “You are that man’s disciple; we are disciples of Moses! 29We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this one is from.”ⁿ 30The man answered and said to them, “This is what is so amazing, that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes. 31We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him.^o 32^* It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything.”^p 34They answered and said to him, “You were born totally in sin, and are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out.

35When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36He answered and said, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37Jesus said to him, “You have seen him and the one speaking with you is he.”^q 38He said, “I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him. 39^* Then Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind.”^r

40Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we?”^s 41Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.^t

5Meanwhile, Anna sat watching the road by which her son was to come. 6When she saw him coming, she called to his father, “Look, your son is coming, and the man who traveled with him!”

7Raphael said to Tobiah before he came near to his father: “I know that his eyes will be opened. 8Apply the fish gall to his eyes, and the medicine will make the white scales shrink and peel off from his eyes; then your father will have sight again and will see the light of day.”

Sight Restored. 9Then Anna ran up to her son, embraced him, and said to him, “Now that I have seen you again, son, I am ready to die!” And she sobbed aloud.^a 10Tobit got up and stumbled out through the courtyard gate to meet his son. Tobiah went up to him 11with the fish gall in his hand and blew into his eyes. Holding him firmly, he said, “Courage, father.” Then he applied the medicine to his eyes, and it made them sting. 12 ^, 13Tobiah used both hands to peel the white scales from the corners of his eyes. Tobit saw his son and threw his arms around him. 14Weeping, he exclaimed, “I can see you, son, the light of my eyes!” Then he prayed,

“Blessed be God,

blessed be his great name,

and blessed be all his holy angels.

May his great name be with us,

and blessed be all the angels throughout all the ages.

15God it was who afflicted me,

and God who has had mercy on me.

Now I see my son Tobiah!”

Then Tobit went back in, rejoicing and praising God with full voice. Tobiah related to his father how his journey had been a success; that he had brought back the money; and that he had married Raguel’s daughter Sarah, who was about to arrive, for she was near the gate of Nineveh.^b

11What do I care for the multitude of your sacrifices?

says the LORD.

I have had enough of whole-burnt rams

and fat of fatlings;

In the blood of calves, lambs, and goats

I find no pleasure.^f

12When you come to appear before me,

who asks these things of you?

13Trample my courts no more!

To bring offerings is useless;

incense is an abomination to me.

New moon and sabbath, calling assemblies—

festive convocations with wickedness—

these I cannot bear.^g

14Your new moons and festivals I detest;^h

they weigh me down, I tire of the load.

15When you spread out your hands,

I will close my eyes to you;

Though you pray the more,

I will not listen.

Your hands are full of blood!^{* i}

16Wash yourselves clean!

Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;

cease doing evil;

17learn to do good.

Make justice your aim: redress the wronged,

hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.^j

Consideration for the Weak Conscience. 13Then let us no longer judge one another, but rather resolve never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.^l 14I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; still, it is unclean for someone who thinks it unclean.^m 15If your brother is being hurt by what you eat, your conduct is no longer in accord with love. Do not because of your food destroy him for whom Christ died.ⁿ 16So do not let your good be reviled.^o 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Spirit;^p 18whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by others. 19Let us^* then pursue what leads to peace and to building up one another.^q 20For the sake of food, do not destroy the work of God.^r Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to become a stumbling block by eating; 21it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 22Keep the faith [that] you have to yourself in the presence of God; blessed is the one who does not condemn himself for what he approves. 23^s But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because this is not from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.^*