Section XXXVI.

[1] 2382Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever keepeth my word shall not see death [2] for ever.  2383The Jews said unto him, Now we know that thou hast demons.  Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, Whosoever keepeth my word shall not [3] taste death for ever.  2384Art thou haply greater than our father Abraham, who is [4] dead, and than the prophets, which are dead? whom makest thou thyself?  2385Jesus said unto them, If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing:  my Father is he that [5] glorifieth me; of whom ye say, that he is our2386 God; 2387and yet ye have not known him:  but I know him; and if I should say that I know him not, I should become [6] [Arabic, p. 137] a liar like you:  but I know him, and keep his word.  2388Abraham your father [7] longed to see my day; and he saw, and rejoiced.  2389The Jews said unto him, [8] Thou art now not fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?  2390Jesus said unto [9] them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.  2391And they take2392 stones to stone him:  2393but Jesus concealed himself, and went out of the temple.  And he passed through them, and went his way.

[10] 2394And as he passed, he saw a man blind from his mother’s womb.  2395And his [11] disciples asked him, and said, Our Master, who sinned, this man, or his parents, so [12] that he was born blind?2396  2397Jesus said unto them, Neither did he sin, nor his parents:  [13] but that the works of God may be seen in him.2398  2399It is incumbent on me to do the deeds of him that sent me, while it is day:  a night will come, and no man will be [14] able to busy himself.  2400As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.  [15] 2401And when he said that, he spat upon the ground, and made clay of his spittle, and [16] smeared it on the eyes of the blind man, and said unto him, 2402Go and wash thyself in [17] the pool2403 of Siloam.2404  2405And he went and washed, and came seeing.  And his neighbours, which saw him of old begging, said, Is not this he that was sitting begging?  [18] 2406And some said, It is he; and others said, Nay, but he resembles him much.  He [19, 20] said, I am he.  2407They said unto him, How then were thine eyes opened?  2408He answered and said unto them, A man named Jesus made clay, and smeared it on my eyes, and said unto me, Go and wash in the water of Siloam:  and I went and [21] washed, and received sight.2409  2410They said unto him, Where is he?  He said, I know not.  [22, 23] [Arabic, p. 138] 2411And they brought him that was previously blind to the Pharisees.  2412And the day in which Jesus made clay and opened with it his eyes was a sabbath [24] day.  2413And again the Pharisees asked him, How didst thou receive sight?  And he said [25] unto them, He put clay on mine eyes, and I washed, and received sight.  2414The people2415 of the Pharisees said, This man is not from God, for he keepeth not the sabbath.  And others said, How can a man that is a sinner do these signs?  And there came [26] to be a division amongst them.  2416And again they said to that blind man, Thou, then, what sayest thou of him that opened for thee thine eyes?  He said unto them, [27] I say that he is a prophet.  2417And the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he was blind, and received sight, until they summoned the parents of him who received [28] sight, and asked them, 2418Is this2419 your son, of whom ye said that he was born blind? [29] how then, behold, doth he now see?  2420His parents answered and said, We know [30] that this is our son, and that he was born blind:  2421but how he has come to see now, or who it is that opened his eyes, we know not:  and he also has reached his prime; [31] ask him, and he will speak for himself.  2422This said his parents, because they were fearing the Jews:  and the Jews decided, that if any man should confess of him that [32] he was the Messiah, they would put him out of the synagogue.  2423For this reason [33] said his parents, He hath reached his prime; ask him.  2424And they called the man a second time, him that was blind, and said unto him, Praise God:  we know that this [34] man is a sinner.  2425He answered and said unto them, Whether he be a sinner, I know [35] not:  I know one thing, that I was blind, and I now see.  2426They said unto him again, [36] [Arabic, p. 139] What did he unto thee? how opened he for thee thine eyes?  2427He said unto them, I said unto you, and ye did not hear:  what2428 wish ye further to hear? [37] ye also, do ye wish to become disciples to him?  2429And they reviled him, and said unto him, Thou art the disciple2430 of that man; but as for us, we are the disciples of [38] Moses.  2431And we know that God spake unto Moses:  but this man, we know not [39] whence he is.  2432The man answered and said unto them, From this is the wonder, [40] because ye know not whence he is, and mine eyes hath he opened.  2433And we know that God heareth not the voice of sinners:  but whosoever feareth him, and doeth [41] his will, him he heareth.  2434From eternity hath it not been heard of, that a man [42] opened the eyes of a blind man, who had been born in blindness.  2435If then this man [43] were not from God, he could not do that.  2436They answered and said unto him, Thou wast all of thee born in sins, and dost thou teach us?  And they put him forth without.

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