1 N ow a certain man named Lazarus was ill. He was of Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived.

A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in the town of Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha.

2 T his Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped His feet with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was sick.

This was the Mary who put perfume on the Lord and dried His feet with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was sick.

3 S o the sisters sent to Him, saying, Lord, he whom You love is sick.

The sisters sent word to Jesus, saying, “Lord, your friend is sick!”

4 W hen Jesus received the message, He said, This sickness is not to end in death; but it is to honor God and to promote His glory, that the Son of God may be glorified through (by) it.

When Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness will not end in death. It has happened so that it will bring honor to God. And the Son of God will be honored by it also.” Jesus Tells of the Death of Lazarus

5 N ow Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

6 T herefore when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He still stayed two days longer in the same place where He was.

But when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days.

7 T hen after that interval He said to His disciples, Let us go back again to Judea.

Then He said to His followers, “Let us go into the country of Judea again.”

8 T he disciples said to Him, Rabbi, the Jews only recently were intending and trying to stone You, and are You going back there again?

The followers said to Him, “Teacher, the Jews tried to throw stones at You to kill You not long ago. Are You going there again?”

9 J esus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? Anyone who walks about in the daytime does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.

Jesus said, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If a man walks during the day, he will not fall. He sees the light of this world.

10 B ut if anyone walks about in the night, he does stumble, because there is no light in him.

If a man walks during the night, he will fall. The light is not in him.”

11 H e said these things, and then added, Our friend Lazarus is at rest and sleeping; but I am going there that I may awaken him out of his sleep.

After Jesus had said this, He spoke again and said, “Our friend Lazarus is sleeping. I will go and wake him up.”

12 T he disciples answered, Lord, if he is sleeping, he will recover.

The followers said to Him, “If he is sleeping, he will get well.”

13 H owever, Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He referred to falling into a refreshing and natural sleep.

But Jesus meant Lazarus was dead. They thought He meant Lazarus was resting in sleep.

14 S o then Jesus told them plainly, Lazarus is dead,

Then Jesus said to them, “Lazarus is dead.

15 A nd for your sake I am glad that I was not there; it will help you to believe (to trust and rely on Me). However, let us go to him.

Because of you I am glad I was not there so that you may believe. Come, let us go to him.”

16 T hen Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, Let us go too, that we may die along with Him.

Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to the other followers, “Let us go also so we may die with Jesus.” Jesus Tells That the Grave Will Not Hold the Dead

17 S o when Jesus arrived, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.

When Jesus got there, He heard that Lazarus had been in the grave four days.

18 B ethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away,

Bethany was about one-half hour walk from Jerusalem.

19 A nd a considerable number of the Jews had gone out to see Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.

Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to give words of comfort about their brother.

20 W hen Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him, while Mary remained sitting in the house.

Martha heard that Jesus was coming and went to meet Him. Mary stayed in the house.

21 M artha then said to Jesus, Master, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

22 A nd even now I know that whatever You ask from God, He will grant it to You.

I know even now God will give You whatever You ask.”

23 J esus said to her, Your brother shall rise again.

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 M artha replied, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again when the dead are raised from the grave on the last day.”

25 J esus said to her, I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on) Me, although he may die, yet he shall live;

Jesus said to her, “I am the One Who raises the dead and gives them life. Anyone who puts his trust in Me will live again, even if he dies.

26 A nd whoever continues to live and believes in (has faith in, cleaves to, and relies on) Me shall never die at all. Do you believe this?

Anyone who lives and has put his trust in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

27 S he said to Him, Yes, Lord, I have believed that You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), the Son of God, Who was to come into the world.

She answered, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God. You are the One Who was to come into the world.” Lazarus Is Raised from the Dead

28 A fter she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, privately whispering to her, The Teacher is close at hand and is asking for you.

After Martha said this, she went and called her sister Mary. She said without anyone else hearing, “The Teacher is here and has sent for you.”

29 W hen she heard this, she sprang up quickly and went to Him.

When Mary heard this, she got up and went to Him.

30 N ow Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the same spot where Martha had met Him.

Jesus had not yet come into their town. He was still where Martha had met Him.

31 W hen the Jews who were sitting with her in the house and consoling her saw how hastily Mary had arisen and gone out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to pour out her grief there.

The Jews had been in the house comforting Mary. They saw her get up and hurry out. They followed her and said, “She is going to the grave to cry there.”

32 W hen Mary came to the place where Jesus was and saw Him, she dropped down at His feet, saying to Him, Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

Mary went to the place where Jesus was. When she saw Him, she got down at His feet. She said to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 W hen Jesus saw her sobbing, and the Jews who came with her sobbing, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.

Jesus saw her crying. The Jews who came with her were crying also. His heart was very sad and He was troubled.

34 A nd He said, Where have you laid him? They said to Him, Lord, come and see.

He said, “Where did you lay Lazarus?” They said, “Lord, come and see.”

35 J esus wept.

Then Jesus cried.

36 T he Jews said, See how He loved him!

The Jews said, “See how much He loved Lazarus.”

37 B ut some of them said, Could not He Who opened a blind man’s eyes have prevented this man from dying?

Some of them said, “This Man opened the eyes of the blind man. Could He not have kept this man from dying?”

38 N ow Jesus, again sighing repeatedly and deeply disquieted, approached the tomb. It was a cave (a hole in the rock), and a boulder lay against it.

Jesus went to the grave with a sad heart. The grave was a hole in the side of a hill. A stone covered the door.

39 J esus said, Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of the dead man, exclaimed, But Lord, by this time he throws off an offensive odor, for he has been dead four days!

Jesus said, “Take the stone away.” The dead man’s sister, Martha, said to Him, “Lord, by now his body has a bad smell. He has been dead four days.”

40 J esus said to her, Did I not tell you and promise you that if you would believe and rely on Me, you would see the glory of God?

Jesus said to her, “Did I not say that if you would believe, you would see the shining-greatness of God?”

41 S o they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.

They took the stone away. Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank You for hearing Me.

42 Y es, I know You always hear and listen to Me, but I have said this on account of and for the benefit of the people standing around, so that they may believe that You did send Me.

I know You always hear Me. But I have said this for the people standing here, so they may believe You have sent Me.”

43 W hen He had said this, He shouted with a loud voice, Lazarus, come out!

When He had said this, He called with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”

44 A nd out walked the man who had been dead, his hands and feet wrapped in burial cloths (linen strips), and with a napkin bound around his face. Jesus said to them, Free him of the burial wrappings and let him go.

The man who had been dead came out. His hands and feet were tied in grave clothes. A white cloth was tied around his face. Jesus said to the people, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go!” The Proud Religious Law-Keepers Try to Think of a Way to Kill Jesus

45 U pon seeing what Jesus had done, many of the Jews who had come with Mary believed in Him.

Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and had seen what Jesus had done put their trust in Him.

46 B ut some of them went back to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

Some of them went to the proud religious law-keepers and told them what Jesus had done.

47 S o the chief priests and Pharisees called a meeting of the council (the Sanhedrin) and said, What are we to do? For this Man performs many signs (evidences, miracles).

The religious leaders of the Jews and the proud religious law-keepers gathered a court together. They said, “What will we do? This Man is doing many powerful works.

48 I f we let Him alone to go on like this, everyone will believe in Him and adhere to Him, and the Romans will come and suppress and destroy and take away our place and our nation '> our temple and city and our civil organization].

If we let Him keep doing these things, all men will put their trust in Him. The Romans will come and take away the house of God and our nation.”

49 B ut one of them, Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year, declared, You know nothing at all!

Caiaphas was the head religious leader that year. He said to them, “You know nothing about this.

50 N or do you understand or reason out that it is expedient and better for your own welfare that one man should die on behalf of the people than that the whole nation should perish (be destroyed, ruined).

Do you not see it is better for one man to die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed?”

51 N ow he did not say this simply of his own accord; but being the high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was to die for the nation,

Caiaphas did not think of these words himself. He spoke what God had said would happen. He was telling before it happened that Jesus must die for the nation.

52 A nd not only for the nation but also for the purpose of uniting into one body the children of God who have been scattered far and wide.

He must die not only for the nation, but also to bring together into one group the children of God who were living in many places.

53 S o from that day on they took counsel and plotted together how they might put Him to death.

From that day on they talked together about how they might kill Jesus.

54 F or that reason Jesus no longer appeared publicly among the Jews, but left there and retired to the district that borders on the wilderness (the desert), to a village called Ephraim, and there He stayed with the disciples.

For this reason Jesus did not walk out in the open among the Jews. He went to a town called Ephraim. It was near a desert. He stayed there with His followers. The Proud Religious Law-Keepers Look for Jesus

55 N ow the Jewish Passover was at hand, and many from the country went up to Jerusalem in order that they might purify and consecrate themselves before the Passover.

The special religious gathering to remember how the Jews left Egypt was soon. Many people from around the country came up to Jerusalem to go through the religious washing before the special supper.

56 S o they kept looking for Jesus and questioned among themselves as they were standing about in the temple '> area], What do you think? Will He not come to the Feast at all?

They looked for Jesus. They stood together in the house of God and asked each other, “What do you think? Will He come to the special supper?”

57 N ow the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it to them, so that they might arrest Him.

The religious leaders of the Jews and the proud religious law-keepers had said that if any man knew where Jesus was, he should tell them. They wanted to take Him.