The Death of Lazarus
1 A man named Lazarus, who lived in Bethany, became sick. Bethany was the town where Mary and her sister Martha lived. ( 2 This Mary was the one who poured the perfume on the Lord's feet and wiped them with her hair; it was her brother Lazarus who was sick.) 3 The sisters sent Jesus a message: “Lord, your dear friend is sick.”
4 When Jesus heard it, he said, “The final result of this sickness will not be the death of Lazarus; this has happened in order to bring glory to God, and it will be the means by which the Son of God will receive glory.”
5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 Yet when he received the news that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days. 7 Then he said to the disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
8 “Teacher,” the disciples answered, “just a short time ago the people there wanted to stone you; and are you planning to go back?”
9 Jesus said, “A day has twelve hours, doesn't it? So those who walk in broad daylight do not stumble, for they see the light of this world. 10 But if they walk during the night they stumble, because they have no light.” 11 Jesus said this and then added, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I will go and wake him up.”
12 The disciples answered, “If he is asleep, Lord, he will get well.”
13 Jesus meant that Lazarus had died, but they thought he meant natural sleep. 14 So Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 but for your sake I am glad that I was not with him, so that you will believe. Let us go to him.”
16 Thomas (called the Twin) said to his fellow disciples, “Let us all go along with the Teacher, so that we may die with him!”
Jesus the Resurrection and the Life
17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had been buried four days before. 18 Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Judeans had come to see Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother's death.
20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “If you had been here, Lord, my brother would not have died! 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask him for.”
23 “Your brother will rise to life,” Jesus told her.
24 “I know,” she replied, “that he will rise to life on the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die; 26 and those who live and believe in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 “Yes, Lord!” she answered. “I do believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
Jesus Weeps
28 After Martha said this, she went back and called her sister Mary privately. “The Teacher is here,” she told her, “and is asking for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up and hurried out to meet him. ( 30 Jesus had not yet arrived in the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him.) 31 The people who were in the house with Mary comforting her followed her when they saw her get up and hurry out. They thought that she was going to the grave to weep there.
32 Mary arrived where Jesus was, and as soon as she saw him, she fell at his feet. “Lord,” she said, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died!”
33 Jesus saw her weeping, and he saw how the people with her were weeping also; his heart was touched, and he was deeply moved. 34 “Where have you buried him?” he asked them.
“Come and see, Lord,” they answered.
35 Jesus wept. 36 “See how much he loved him!” the people said.
37 But some of them said, “He gave sight to the blind man, didn't he? Could he not have kept Lazarus from dying?”
Lazarus Is Brought to Life
38 Deeply moved once more, Jesus went to the tomb, which was a cave with a stone placed at the entrance. 39 “Take the stone away!” Jesus ordered.
Martha, the dead man's sister, answered, “There will be a bad smell, Lord. He has been buried four days!”
40 Jesus said to her, “Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believed?” 41 They took the stone away. Jesus looked up and said, “I thank you, Father, that you listen to me. 42 I know that you always listen to me, but I say this for the sake of the people here, so that they will believe that you sent me.” 43 After he had said this, he called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 He came out, his hands and feet wrapped in grave cloths, and with a cloth around his face. “Untie him,” Jesus told them, “and let him go.”
The Plot against Jesus
(Matthew 26.1-5Mark 14.1Mark 2Luke 22.1Luke 2)45 Many of the people who had come to visit Mary saw what Jesus did, and they believed in him. 46 But some of them returned to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the Pharisees and the chief priests met with the Council and said, “What shall we do? Look at all the miracles this man is performing! 48 If we let him go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Roman authorities will take action and destroy our Temple and our nation!”
49 One of them, named Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, said, “What fools you are! 50 Don't you realize that it is better for you to have one man die for the people, instead of having the whole nation destroyed?” 51 Actually, he did not say this of his own accord; rather, as he was High Priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish people, 52 and not only for them, but also to bring together into one body all the scattered people of God.
53 From that day on the Jewish authorities made plans to kill Jesus. 54 So Jesus did not travel openly in Judea, but left and went to a place near the desert, to a town named Ephraim, where he stayed with the disciples.
55 The time for the Passover Festival was near, and many people went up from the country to Jerusalem to perform the ritual of purification before the festival. 56 They were looking for Jesus, and as they gathered in the Temple, they asked one another, “What do you think? Surely he will not come to the festival, will he?” 57 The chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where Jesus was, he must report it, so that they could arrest him.
1 Bet kāds gulēja slims, Lācars vārdā, Betānijā, Marijas un viņas māsas Martas ciemā. 2 Bet šī Marija bija tā, kas Kungu bija svaidījusi ar svaidāmo eļļu un Viņa kājas ar saviem matiem nožāvējusi. Tās brālis Lācars gulēja slims. 3 Tad abas māsas sūtīja Viņam ziņu: "Kungs, redzi, tas, ko Tu mīli, guļ slims." 4 Jēzus, to dzirdējis, sacīja: "Šī slimība nav uz nāvi, bet Dievam par godu, lai Dieva Dēls ar to tiktu pagodināts." 5 Bet Jēzus mīlēja Martu, viņas māsu, un Lācaru. 6 Saņēmis ziņu, ka tas ir slims, Viņš vēl divi dienas palika tai vietā, kur Viņš atradās. 7 Un tikai pēc tam Viņš saka mācekļiem: "Iesim atkal uz Jūdeju!" 8 Mācekļi Viņam saka: "Rabi, nupat jūdi gribēja Tevi nomētāt akmeņiem, un Tu atkal jau dodies turp?" 9 Jēzus atbildēja: "Vai dienai nav divpadsmit stundu? Ja kāds staigā dienā, tas nepiedauzās, jo tas redz šīs pasaules gaismu. 10 Bet, ja kāds staigā naktī, tas piedauzās, jo viņam nav gaismas." 11 To Viņš teica un pēc tam saka viņiem: "Mūsu draugs Lācars ir aizmidzis, bet Es eimu viņu modināt." 12 Mācekļi Viņam sacīja: "Kungs, ja viņš aizmidzis, tad viņš izveseļosies." 13 Bet Jēzus to bija sacījis par viņa nāvi; viņi turpretim domāja, ka Viņš runā par miegu. 14 Pēc tam Jēzus viņiem skaidri saka: "Lācars nomiris; 15 un Es priecājos jūsu dēļ, ka Es nebiju tur, lai jūs ticētu; bet iesim pie viņa!" 16 Tad Toms, saukts dvīnis, sacīja pārējiem mācekļiem: "Iesim arī mēs, lai kopā ar Viņu mirtu!" 17 Kad Jēzus tur nonāca, Viņš to atrada jau četras dienas guļam kapā. 18 Bet Betānija bija netālu no Jeruzālemes, apmēram piecpadsmit stadiju. 19 Un daudz jūdu bija atnākuši pie Martas un Marijas, lai mierinātu viņas par viņu brāli. 20 Marta, dzirdējusi, ka Jēzus nāk, izgāja Viņam pretim, bet Marija palika mājās sēžot. 21 Tad Marta sacīja Jēzum: "Kungs, ja Tu būtu bijis šeit, mans brālis nebūtu miris! 22 Bet arī tagad es zinu, ka visu, ko Tu no Dieva lūgsi, Dievs Tev dos." 23 Jēzus viņai saka: "Tavs brālis celsies augšām!" 24 Marta saka Viņam: "Es zinu, ka viņš celsies augšām, kad miroņi celsies augšām, pastarā dienā." 25 Jēzus viņai sacīja: "ES ESMU augšāmcelšanās un dzīvība; kas Man tic, dzīvos, arī ja tas mirs, 26 un ikviens, kas dzīvo un tic Man, nemirs nemūžam! Vai tu to tici?" 27 Viņa saka: "Jā, Kungs, es ticu, ka Tu esi Kristus, Dieva Dēls, kam jānāk pasaulē." 28 Un, to sacījusi, viņa aizgāja un pasauca Mariju, savu māsu, tai paslepus sacīdama: "Mācītājs ir atnācis un tevi sauc." 29 Bet viņa, to dzirdējusi, steigšus ceļas un dodas pie Viņa. 30 Bet Jēzus vēl nebija iegājis ciemā, bet vēl atradās tanī vietā, kur Marta Viņu bija satikusi. 31 Tad jūdi, kas bija pie viņas mājā, lai viņu iepriecinātu, redzēdami, ka Marija steigšus cēlās un izgāja, sekoja tai, būdami tanīs domās, ka viņa iet uz kapu, lai tur raudātu. 32 Kad Marija nonāca tur, kur Jēzus bija, viņa, To ieraudzījusi, metās Tam pie kājām un sacīja Viņam: "Kungs, ja Tu būtu bijis šeit, mans brālis nebūtu miris." 33 Tad Jēzus, redzēdams viņu raudam un arī jūdus raudam, kas viņai bija sekojuši, garā aizgrābts noskuma 34 un sacīja: "Kur jūs viņu esat likuši?" Tie Viņam saka: "Kungs, nāc un redzi!" 35 Jēzus raudāja. 36 Tad jūdi sacīja: "Redziet, cik ļoti Viņš to ir mīlējis!" 37 Bet daži viņu starpā sacīja: "Vai Viņš, kas atvēra aklā acis, nevarēja arī darīt, lai šis nenomirtu?" 38 Jēzus, atkal sirdī aizgrābts, nonāk pie kapa; tas bija alā, un akmens gulēja priekšā. 39 Jēzus saka: "Noņemiet akmeni!" Marta, mirēja māsa, saka Viņam: "Kungs, viņš jau ož, jo ir jau pagājušas četras dienas." 40 Jēzus viņai saka: "Vai Es tev nesacīju: ja tu ticēsi, tu redzēsi Dieva varenību?" 41 Tad viņi noņēma akmeni. Bet Jēzus pacēla acis augšup un sacīja: "Tēvs, Es Tev pateicos, ka Tu Mani esi paklausījis! 42 Es jau zināju, ka Tu katrā laikā Mani paklausi, bet apkārtstāvošo ļaužu dēļ Es to esmu sacījis, lai tie ticētu, ka Tu Mani esi sūtījis." 43 Un, to sacījis, Viņš stiprā balsī sauca: "Lācar, nāc ārā!" 44 Un mirušais iznāca; kājas un rokas tam bija autiem sasietas un seja aizsegta ar sviedrautu. Bet Jēzus sacīja tiem: "Atraisait viņu un ļaujiet viņam iet." 45 Tad daudzi to jūdu starpā, kas bija nākuši pie Marijas un redzējuši, ko Viņš bija darījis, sāka Viņam ticēt. 46 Bet daži no tiem aizgāja pie farizejiem un izstāstīja viņiem, ko Jēzus bija darījis. 47 Tad augstie priesteri un farizeji sasauca augstās tiesas sēdi un sacīja: "Ko mēs darīsim? Jo šis cilvēks dara daudz zīmju. 48 Ja mēs Viņu tā palaidīsim, visi sāks ticēt Viņam, un romieši nāks un atņems mums zemi un tautu." 49 Un viens starp viņiem, Kajafa, būdams tā gada augstais priesteris, sacīja viņiem: "Jūs neko nesaprotat 50 un neapsverat, ka mums ir labāk, ka viens cilvēks mirst, ja to prasa tautas labums, nekā kad visa tauta iet bojā." 51 Bet to viņš nesacīja pats no sevis, bet pravietoja, būdams tā gada augstais priesteris. Jo Jēzum bija mirt tautas labā 52 un ne vien jūdu tautas labā, bet arī lai savāktu vienkopus izklīdinātos Dieva bērnus. 53 No tās dienas tie nosprieda Viņu nokaut. 54 Bet Jēzus nu vairs nestaigāja atklāti starp jūdiem, bet no turienes aizgāja uz apgabalu netālu no tuksneša, uz pilsētu, vārdā Efraima, un tur palika kopā ar mācekļiem. 55 Bet jūdu Pashā bija tuvu, un daudzi no laukiem jau pirms Pashā devās uz Jeruzālemi, lai šķīstītos. 56 Tie meklēja Jēzu un runāja savā starpā, Templī stāvēdami: "Kā jums šķiet? Viņš droši vien nenāks svētkos?" 57 Bet augstie priesteri un farizeji bija devuši rīkojumu, ka katram, kas zina, kur Viņš ir, Viņš jāuzrāda, lai tie Viņu varētu apcietināt.
