Iohannem 9
1 Et præteriens Jesus vidit hominem cæcum a nativitate:
As Jesus passed by, he saw a man who had been blind from his birth.
2 et interrogaverunt eum discipuli ejus: Rabbi, quis peccavit, hic, aut parentes ejus, ut cæcus nasceretur?
‘Rabbi,’ asked his disciples, ‘who was it that sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’
3 Respondit Jesus: Neque hic peccavit, neque parentes ejus: sed ut manifestentur opera Dei in illo.
‘Neither the man nor the parents,’ replied Jesus, ‘but he was born blind so that the work of God should be made plain in him.
4 Me oportet operari opera ejus qui misit me, donec dies est: venit nox, quando nemo potest operari:
We must do the work of him who sent me, while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.
5 quamdiu sum in mundo, lux sum mundi.
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’
6 Hæc cum dixisset, exspuit in terram, et fecit lutum ex sputo, et linivit lutum super oculos ejus,
Saying this, Jesus spat on the ground, made some paste with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.
7 et dixit ei: Vade, lava in natatoria Siloë (quod interpretatur Missus). Abiit ergo, et lavit, et venit videns.
‘Go,’ he said, ‘and wash your eyes in the Bath of Siloam’ (a word which means “messenger”). So the man went and washed his eyes, and returned able to see.
8 Itaque vicini, et qui viderant eum prius quia mendicus erat, dicebant: Nonne hic est qui sedebat, et mendicabat? Alii dicebant: Quia hic est.
His neighbours, and those who had formerly known him by sight as a beggar, exclaimed, ‘Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?’
9 Alii autem: Nequaquam, sed similis est ei. Ille vero dicebat: Quia ego sum.
‘Yes,’ some said, ‘it is’; while others said, ‘No, but he is like him.’ The man himself said, ‘I am he.’
10 Dicebant ergo ei: Quomodo aperti sunt tibi oculi?
‘How did you get your sight, then?’ they asked.
11 Respondit: Ille homo qui dicitur Jesus, lutum fecit: et unxit oculos meos, et dixit mihi: Vade ad natatoria Siloë, et lava. Et abii, et lavi, et video.
‘The man whom they call Jesus,’ he answered, ‘made a paste, and anointed my eyes, and said to me “Go to Siloam and wash your eyes.” So I went and washed my eyes, and gained my sight.’
12 Et dixerunt ei: Ubi est ille? Ait: Nescio.
‘Where is he?’ they asked. ‘I do not know,’ he answered.
13 Adducunt eum ad pharisæos, qui cæcus fuerat.
They took the man, who had been blind, to the Pharisees.
14 Erat autem sabbatum quando lutum fecit Jesus, et aperuit oculos ejus.
Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the paste and gave him his sight.
15 Iterum ergo interrogabant eum pharisæi quomodo vidisset. Ille autem dixit eis: Lutum mihi posuit super oculos, et lavi, et video.
So the Pharisees also questioned the man as to how he had gained his sight. ‘He put a paste on my eyes,’ he answered, ‘and I washed them, and I can see.’
16 Dicebant ergo ex pharisæis quidam: Non est hic homo a Deo, qui sabbatum non custodit. Alii autem dicebant: Quomodo potest homo peccator hæc signa facere? Et schisma erat inter eos.
‘The man cannot be from God,’ said some of the Pharisees, ‘for he does not keep the Sabbath.’ ‘How is it possible,’ retorted others, ‘for a bad man to give signs like this?’
17 Dicunt ergo cæco iterum: Tu quid dicis de illo qui aperuit oculos tuos? Ille autem dixit: Quia propheta est.
So there was a difference of opinion among them, and they again questioned the man. ‘What do you yourself say about him, for it is to you that he has given sight?’
18 Non crediderunt ergo Judæi de illo, quia cæcus fuisset et vidisset, donec vocaverunt parentes ejus, qui viderat:
The religious authorities, however, refused to believe that he had been blind and had gained his sight, until they had called his parents and questioned them.
19 et interrogaverunt eos, dicentes: Hic est filius vester, quem vos dicitis quia cæcus natus est? quomodo ergo nunc videt?
‘Is this your son,’ they asked, ‘who you say was born blind? If so, how is it that he can see now?’
20 Responderunt eis parentes ejus, et dixerunt: Scimus quia hic est filius noster, et quia cæcus natus est:
‘We know that this is our son,’ answered the parents, ‘and that he was born blind;
21 quomodo autem nunc videat, nescimus: aut quis ejus aperuit oculos, nos nescimus; ipsum interrogate: ætatem habet, ipse de se loquatur.
but how it is that he can see now we do not know; nor do we know who it was that gave him his sight. Ask him – he is old enough – he will tell you about himself.’
22 Hæc dixerunt parentes ejus, quoniam timebant Judæos: jam enim conspiraverunt Judæi, ut si quis eum confiteretur esse Christum, extra synagogam fieret.
His parents spoke in this way because they were afraid of the authorities; for the authorities had already agreed that, if anyone should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ, he should be expelled from their synagogues.
23 Propterea parentes ejus dixerunt: Quia ætatem habet, ipsum interrogate.
This was why his parents said “He is old enough; ask him.”
24 Vocaverunt ergo rursum hominem qui fuerat cæcus, et dixerunt ei: Da gloriam Deo: nos scimus quia hic homo peccator est.
So the authorities again called the man who had been blind, and said to him, ‘Give God the praise; we know that this is a bad man.’
25 Dixit ergo eis ille: Si peccator est, nescio; unum scio, quia cæcus cum essem, modo video.
‘I know nothing about his being a bad man,’ he replied. ‘One thing I do know, that although I was blind, now I can see.’
26 Dixerunt ergo illi: Quid fecit tibi? quomodo aperuit tibi oculos?
‘What did he do to you?’ they asked. ‘How did he give you your sight?’
27 Respondit eis: Dixi vobis jam, et audistis: quod iterum vultis audire? numquid et vos vultis discipuli ejus fieri?
‘I told you just now,’ he answered, ‘and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Surely you also do not want to become his disciples?’
28 Maledixerunt ergo ei, et dixerunt: Tu discipulus illius sis: nos autem Moysi discipuli sumus.
‘You are his disciple,’ they retorted scornfully. ‘But we are disciples of Moses.
29 Nos scimus quia Moysi locutus est Deus; hunc autem nescimus unde sit.
We know that God spoke to Moses; but, as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.’
30 Respondit ille homo, et dixit eis: In hoc enim mirabile est quia vos nescitis unde sit, et aperuit meos oculos:
‘Well,’ the man replied, ‘this is very strange; you do not know where he comes from, and yet he has given me my sight!
31 scimus autem quia peccatores Deus non audit: sed si quis Dei cultor est, et voluntatem ejus facit, hunc exaudit.
We know that God never listens to bad people, but, when a person is god-fearing and does God’s will, God listens to them.
Since the world began, such a thing was never heard of as anyone’s giving sight to a person born blind. (aiōn g165)
33 Nisi esset hic a Deo, non poterat facere quidquam.
If this man had not been from God, he could not have done anything at all.’
34 Responderunt, et dixerunt ei: In peccatis natus es totus, et tu doces nos? Et ejecerunt eum foras.
‘You,’ they retorted, ‘were born totally depraved; and are you trying to teach us?’ So they expelled him.
35 Audivit Jesus quia ejecerunt eum foras: et cum invenisset eum, dixit ei: Tu credis in Filium Dei?
Jesus heard of their having put him out; and, when he had found the man, he asked, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’
36 Respondit ille, et dixit: Quis est, Domine, ut credam in eum?
‘Tell me who he is, Sir,’ he replied, ‘so that I may believe in him.’
37 Et dixit ei Jesus: Et vidisti eum, et qui loquitur tecum, ipse est.
‘Not only have you seen him,’ said Jesus, ‘but it is he who is now speaking to you.’
38 At ille ait: Credo, Domine. Et procidens adoravit eum.
‘Then, Sir, I do believe,’ said the man, bowing to the ground before him;
39 Et dixit Jesus: In judicium ego in hunc mundum veni: ut qui non vident videant, et qui vident cæci fiant.
and Jesus added, ‘It was to put people to the test that I came into this world, in order that those that cannot see should see, and that those that can see should become blind.’
40 Et audierunt quidam ex pharisæis qui cum ipso erant, et dixerunt ei: Numquid et nos cæci sumus?
Hearing this, some of the Pharisees who were with him said, ‘Then are we blind too?’
41 Dixit eis Jesus: Si cæci essetis, non haberetis peccatum. Nunc vero dicitis, Quia videmus: peccatum vestrum manet.
‘If you had been blind,’ replied Jesus, ‘you would have had no sin to answer for; but, as it is, you say “We can see,” and so your sin remains.
