1 N ow a certain man was sick, Lazarus from Bethany, of the village 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 I t was that Mary who had 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 he sisters therefore sent to him, saying, “Lord, behold, he for whom you have great affection is sick.”

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

4 B ut when Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, that God’s Son may be glorified 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 W hen therefore he heard that he was sick, he stayed two days in the place where he was.

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

7 T hen after this he said to the disciples, “Let’s go into Judea again.”

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

8 T he disciples told him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and are you going 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, “Aren’t there twelve hours of daylight? If a man walks in the day, he doesn’t 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 a man walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light isn’t 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 after that, he said to them, “Our friend, Lazarus, has fallen asleep, but I am going so 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 he disciples therefore said, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”

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

13 N ow Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he spoke of taking rest in sleep.

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

14 S o Jesus said to them plainly then, “Lazarus is dead.

Then Jesus said to them, “Lazarus is dead.

15 I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe. Nevertheless, let’s 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 homas therefore, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s 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 S o when Jesus came, he found that he had been in the tomb four days already.

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

18 N ow Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away.

Bethany was about one-half hour walk from Jerusalem.

19 M any of the Jews had joined the women around 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 T hen when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary stayed in the house.

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

21 T herefore Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.

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

22 E ven now I know that, whatever you ask of God, God will give you.”

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

23 J esus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

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

24 M artha said to him, “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. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies.

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 W hoever lives and believes in me will never die. 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 come to believe that you are the Christ, God’s Son, he who comes 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 W hen she had said this, she went away, and called Mary, her sister, secretly, saying, “The Teacher is here, and is calling 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 arose quickly, and went to him.

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

30 N ow Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was in the 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 were consoling her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb 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 herefore when Mary came to where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t 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 therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was 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 said, “Where have you laid him?” They told 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 therefore said, “See how much affection he had for him!”

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

37 S ome of them said, “Couldn’t this man, who opened the eyes of him who was blind, have also kept 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 J esus therefore, again groaning in himself, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone 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 him who was dead, said to him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, 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, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see God’s glory?”

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 from the place where the dead man was lying. Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, “Father, I thank you that you listened to me.

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

42 I know that you always listen to me, but because of the multitude that stands around I said this, that they may believe that you 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 W hen he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”

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

44 H e who was dead came out, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Free 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 T herefore many of the Jews, who came to Mary and saw what Jesus did, 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 away to the Pharisees, and told them the things which Jesus had done.

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

47 T he chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, “What are we doing? 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 leave him alone like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our 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 B ut a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “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 consider that it is advantageous for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.”

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 didn’t say this of himself, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would 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 the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God who are 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 from that day forward they took counsel that they might put him to death.

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

54 J esus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews, but departed from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim. He stayed there 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 N ow the Passover of the Jews was at hand. Many went up from the country 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 T hen they sought for Jesus and spoke one with another, as they stood in the temple, “What do you think—that he isn’t coming 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 the Pharisees had commanded that if anyone knew where he was, he should report it, that they might seize 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.