John 9:31

Contemporary English Version

We know that God listens only to people who love and obey him. God doesn't listen to sinners.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
We all know that God does not listen to sinners, but he will listen to anyone who worships and obeys him.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For we be sure that God heareth not synners. But yf eny man be a worshipper of God and do his will him heareth he.

Hebrew Names Version
We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshipper of God, and does his will, he listens to him.

International Standard Version
We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but he does listen to anyone who worships him and does his will.Job 1:27:9; 35:12; Psalm 18:41; 34:15; 66:18; Proverbs 1:28; 15:29; 28:9; Isaiah 1:15; Jeremiah 11:11; 14:12; Ezekiel 8:18; Micah 3:4; Zechariah 7:13;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
"We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if someone is God-fearing and does His will, He listens to him.

New Century Version
We all know that God does not listen to sinners, but he listens to anyone who worships and obeys him.

Update Bible Version
We know that God does not hear sinners: but if any man is a worshiper of God, and does his will, him he hears.

Webster's Bible Translation
Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man is a worshiper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.

English Standard Version
We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.

World English Bible
We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshipper of God, and does his will, he listens to him.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
We know that God heareth not sinners; but if a man be a worshiper of God, and do his will, him he heareth.

Weymouth's New Testament
We know that God does not listen to bad people, but that if any one is a God-fearing man and obeys Him, to him He listens.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And we witen, that God herith not synful men, but if ony `man is worschypere of God, and doith his wille, he herith hym.

English Revised Version
We know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and do his will, him he heareth.

Berean Standard Bible
We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will.

Amplified Bible
"We know [according to your tradition] that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone fears God and does His will, He hears him.

American Standard Version
We know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and do his will, him he heareth.

Bible in Basic English
We have knowledge that God does not give ear to sinners, but if any man is a worshipper of God and does his pleasure, to him God's ears are open.

Complete Jewish Bible
We know that God doesn't listen to sinners; but if anyone fears God and does his will, God does listen to him.

Darby Translation
[But] we know that God does not hear sinners; but if any one be God-fearing and do his will, him he hears.

Etheridge Translation
But we know that Aloha the voice of sinners heareth not; but if any man fear him and do his will, him he heareth.

Murdock Translation
Now we know, that God heareth not the voice of sinners; but him that feareth him, and doeth his pleasure, him he heareth.

King James Version (1611)
Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man bee a worshipper of God, and doth his will, him he heareth.

New Living Translation
We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will.

New Life Bible
We know that God does not listen to sinners. We know if anyone loves and worships God, and does what He wants, God listens to him.

New Revised Standard
We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him heareth he.

George Lamsa Translation
We know that God does not hear the voice of sinners; but he hears the one who fears him and does his will.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
We know that, God, unto sinners, doth not hearken: but, if one be, a worshipper of God, and be doing, his will, unto this one, he hearkeneth.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Now we know that God doth not hear sinners: but if a man be a server of God and doth his, will, him he heareth.

Revised Standard Version
We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if any one is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For we be sure, that God heareth not sinners: But yf any man be a worshipper of God, and obedient vnto his wyll, hym heareth he.

Good News Translation
We know that God does not listen to sinners; he does listen to people who respect him and do what he wants them to do.

Christian Standard Bible®
We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is God-fearing and does his will, he listens to him.

King James Version
Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.

Lexham English Bible
We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if someone is devout and does his will, he listens to this one.

Literal Translation
But we know that God does not hear sinful ones, but if anyone is God fearing, and does His will, He hears that one.

Young's Literal Translation
and we have known that God doth not hear sinners, but, if any one may be a worshipper of God, and may do His will, him He doth hear;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For we knowe that God heareth not ye sinners: but yf eny ma be a fearer of God, and doth his will, him heareth he.

Mace New Testament (1729)
now 'tis certain, that God does not countenance impostors: but regards him only that is religious, and executes his commands.

New English Translation
We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but if anyone is devout and does his will, God listens to him.

New King James Version
Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.

Simplified Cowboy Version
You may not know him, but this we do know, We know God don't cotton to sinners, nor does he answer their prayers. God answers the prayers of people who ride only for him.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him.

Legacy Standard Bible
We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He listens to him.

Contextual Overview

¹³The day when Jesus made the mud and healed the man was a Sabbath. So the people took the man to the Pharisees. ¹⁵ They asked him how he was able to see, and he answered, "Jesus made some mud and smeared it on my eyes. Then after I washed it off, I could see." ¹⁶ Some of the Pharisees said, "This man Jesus doesn't come from God. If he did, he would not break the law of the Sabbath." Others asked, "How could someone who is a sinner work such a miracle?" Since the Pharisees could not agree among themselves, ¹⁷ they asked the man, "What do you say about this one who healed your eyes?" "He is a prophet!" the man told them. ¹⁸ But the Jewish leaders would not believe that the man had once been blind. They sent for his parents ¹⁹ and asked them, "Is this the son that you said was born blind? How can he now see?" ²⁰ The man's parents answered, "We are certain that he is our son, and we know that he was born blind. ²¹ But we don't know how he got his sight or who gave it to him. Ask him! He is old enough to speak for himself." ²²The man's parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. The leaders had already agreed that no one was to have anything to do with anyone who said Jesus was the Messiah. ²⁴ The leaders called the man back and said, "Swear by God to tell the truth! We know that Jesus is a sinner."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

we know: Job 27:8, Job 27:9, Job 35:12, Job 42:8, Psalms 18:41, Psalms 34:15, Psalms 66:18-20, Proverbs 1:28, Proverbs 1:29, Proverbs 15:29, Proverbs 21:13, Proverbs 28:9, Isaiah 1:15, Isaiah 58:9, Jeremiah 11:11, Jeremiah 14:12, Ezekiel 8:18, Micah 3:4, Zechariah 7:13

if any: Psalms 34:15, Proverbs 15:29

and doeth: John 4:34, John 7:17, John 15:16, Psalms 40:8, Psalms 143:10, Hebrews 10:7, 1 John 3:21, 1 John 3:22

him: John 11:41, John 11:42, Genesis 18:23-33, Genesis 19:29, Genesis 20:7, 1 Kings 17:20-22, 1 Kings 18:36-38, 2 Chronicles 32:20, 2 Chronicles 32:21, Psalms 99:6, Psalms 106:23, Jeremiah 15:1, James 5:15-18

Reciprocal: Genesis 13:13 - But the 1 Samuel 28:6 - inquired Malachi 1:9 - beseech Matthew 9:10 - many Matthew 25:12 - I know Luke 7:37 - which John 11:22 - that James 5:16 - The effectual 1 Peter 3:12 - his ears 1 John 5:14 - he

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Now we know that God heareth not sinners,.... All mankind are sinners, even God's elect; yea, such who are truly gracious and righteous persons; for there is no man without sin; and God hears such who cry unto him day and night; such Christ came to save; for such he died; and these he calls to repentance; and every penitent sinner God hears: but by "sinners" are meant notorious sinners, such in whom sin reigns, who live in sin, and particularly impostors. The man takes up the word the Jews had made use of, and applied to Christ, John 9:24, and suggests, that had Jesus been a sinner, that is, an impostor, God would not have heard him, or have assisted him in doing a miracle, to support an imposture, or cover and encourage a fraud; but that he was heard and assisted, was a plain case: whereas not only they, the learned doctors of the nation, but such an illiterate man as himself knew, that notoriously wicked men, cheats, and deceivers, were not heard of God; and this was known from the Scripture, and all experience; see Psalms 66:18. The Persic and Ethiopic versions read, "I know, that God", c.

but if any man be a worshipper of God fears the Lord, and worships him in spirit and in truth, both with internal and external worship:

and doth his will; for it is not everyone that Lord, or draws nigh to God with his mouth, and honours him with his lips, that is a true and sincere worshipper of him; but he that does his will in faith, from a principle of love, and with a view to his glory: and

him he heareth; for he is nigh to all that call upon him in truth; and such an one the man intimates Jesus must be, since it was out of all dispute that God had heard him, and had bore a testimony to him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Now we know - That is, it is an admitted or conceded point. No one calls it into question.

God heareth not - When a miracle was performed it was customary to invoke the aid of God. Jesus often did this himself, and it was by his power only that prophets and apostles could perform miracles. The word “heareth” in this place is to be understood as referring to such cases. God will not hear - that is, answer.

Sinners - Impostors. False prophets and pretenders to divine revelation. See John 9:24. The meaning of this verse is, therefore, “It is well understood that God will not give miraculous aid to impostors and false prophets.” We may remark here:

1. That the passage has no reference to the prayers which sinners make for salvation.
2. If it had it would not be of course true. It was the mere opinion of this man, in accordance with the common sentiment of the Jews, and there is no evidence that he was inspired.
3. The only prayers which God will not hear are those which are offered in mockery, or when the man loves his sins and is unwilling to give them up. Such prayers God will not hear, Psalms 66:18; “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me;” Isaiah 1:14-15; Job 27:9; Jeremiah 11:11; Ezekiel 8:18; Micah 3:4; Zechariah 7:13,

A worshipper - A sincere worshipper; one who fears, loves, and adores him.

Doeth his will - Obeys his commandments. This is infallibly true. The Scripture abounds with promises to such that God will hear their prayer. See Psalms 34:15; Matthew 7:7-8.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 31. God heareth not sinners — I believe the word αμαρτωλων signifies heathens, or persons not proselyted to the Jewish religion; and therefore it is put in opposition to θεοσεβης, a worshipper of the true God. See the note on Luke 7:37. But in what sense may it be said, following our common version, that God heareth not sinners? When they regard iniquity in their heart-when they wish to be saved, and yet abide in their sins-when they will not separate themselves from the workers and works of iniquity. In all these cases, God heareth not sinners.