The man had met his inquisitors on their own ground. His reasoning was unanswerable. The Pharisees were astonished, and they held their peace,--spellbound before his pointed, determined words. For a few moments there was silence. Then the frowning priests and rabbis gathered about them their robes, as though they feared contamination from contact with him; they shook off the dust from their feet, and hurled denunciations against him,--"Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach

Manden var kommet sine dommere i møde på deres egen grund. Hans ræsonnementer var uimodsigelige. Farisæerne var forbløffede, og de tav stille, tryllebundne af hans saglige og målbevidste ord. I nogle øjeblikke var der tavshed. Så samlede præsterne og de skriftkloge med truende miner deres kjortler om sig, som om de var bange for at blive besmittede ved at røre ved ham. De rystede støvet af deres fødder og slyngede forbandelser imod ham: Du er helt og holdent født i synd, og du vil lære os! Og de stødte ham ud!