1 ¶ Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

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

2 ( It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair whose brother Lazarus 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 T herefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

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

4 W hen Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

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 W hen he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still 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 he said to his disciples, Let us go into Judea again.

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

8 H is disciples said unto him, Rabbi, the Jews of late sought to stone thee, and goest thou 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? If anyone walks in the day, he 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 he who walks in the night stumbles 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 aving said that he said unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may awake him out of 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 hen his disciples said, Lord, if he sleeps, he shall be saved.

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

13 B ut Jesus had spoken of his death, and they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

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

14 T hen Jesus said unto them plainly, Lazarus has died.

Then Jesus said to them, “Lazarus is dead.

15 A nd I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, in order that ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto 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 said, who is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us go also, that we may die 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 ¶ Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

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

18 N ow Bethany was near unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off;

Bethany was about one-half hour walk from Jerusalem.

19 a nd many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother.

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

20 T hen Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him; but Mary sat still in the house.

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

21 T hen Martha said unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst 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 B ut I know that even now whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it unto thee.

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

23 J esus said unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

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

24 M artha said unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection in 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 unto her, I AM the resurrection and the life; he that believes in me, though he is dead, yet shall he 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 whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

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

27 S he said unto him, Yes, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, who should 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 nd having said this, she went away and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calls for thee.

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 A s soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came unto him.

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

30 ( Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.)

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

31 T hen the Jews who were with her in the house and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goes unto the grave to weep 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 T hen when Mary was come where Jesus was and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst 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 ¶ When Jesus therefore saw her weeping and the Jews also weeping who came with her, he became enraged in the Spirit and stirred himself up

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 said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto 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 hen the Jews said, Behold how he loved him!

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

37 A nd some of them said, Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind, have also caused that this man should not have died?

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

38 J esus therefore, becoming enraged again in himself, came to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon 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 ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that had died, said unto him, Lord, by this time he stinks, 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 unto her, Did I not say unto thee that if thou wouldest believe thou shalt 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 T hen they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus, lifting up his eyes, said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

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

42 A nd I knew that thou hearest me always, but because of the people who stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent 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 A nd having said these things, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

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

44 T hen he that had been dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said unto them, Loose him, 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 ¶ Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary and had seen what Jesus did believed on 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 unto 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 T hen the high priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, What shall we do? for this man does many signs.

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 thus alone, everyone will believe on him, and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and the nation.

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 A nd one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all

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

50 n or consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation be lost.

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

51 A nd this he spoke not of himself; but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should 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 for that nation only, but that he should also gather together in one the sons of God that were scattered abroad.

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 that from that day forth they took counsel together to kill him.

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

54 J esus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there unto a country near to the wilderness into a city called Ephraim and there continued with his 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 A nd the passover of the Jews was now at hand, and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover to purify themselves;

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 a nd they sought for Jesus and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?

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 both the high priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that if anyone knew where he was he should show it, that they might take 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.