Bible in Basic English
"He has made their eyes blind, and their hearts hard; for fear that they might see with their eyes and get knowledge with their hearts, and be changed, and I might make them well."
— John 12:40, Bible in Basic English
But though he had done such a number of signs before them, they still had no belief in him:
So that the words of the prophet Isaiah might come true, when he said, Lord, who has any belief in our preaching? and the arm of the Lord, to whom has it been unveiled?
For this reason they were unable to have belief, because Isaiah said again,
He has made their eyes blind, and their hearts hard; for fear that they might see with their eyes and get knowledge with their hearts, and be changed, and I might make them well.
(Isaiah said these words because he saw his glory. His words were about him.)
However, a number even of the rulers had belief in him, but because of the Pharisees they did not say so openly for fear that they might be shut out from the Synagogue:
For the praise of men was dearer to them than the approval of God.