John 11
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
Jesus Hears That Lazarus Is Sick
11 Now there was a certain one being sick— Lazarus, from Bethany, of the village of Mary and Martha, her sister. 2 And it was Mary, the one having anointed[a] the Lord with perfume and having wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 So the sisters sent out a message to Him, saying, “Lord, look— the one whom You love is sick”. 4 And having heard, Jesus said “This sickness is not leading to death, but for the glory of God, in order that the Son of God may be glorified through it”.
Jesus Returns To Judea To Raise Lazarus From The Dead
5 Now Jesus was loving Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. 6 So when He heard that he was sick, at that time He remained for two days in which place He was— 7 then after this, says to the disciples, “Let us be going to Judea again”. 8 The disciples say to Him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just-now seeking to stone You, and You are going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of the day? If one walks during the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if one walks during the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him”. 11 He said these things, and after this He says to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen-asleep, but I am going in order that I may awaken him”. 12 So the disciples said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be restored”. 13 Now Jesus had spoken concerning his death, but those ones thought that He was speaking concerning the sleep of slumber[b]. 14 So at-that-time Jesus said to them with plainness, “Lazarus died. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us be going to him”. 16 Then Thomas, the one being called Didymus[c], said to his fellow-disciples, “Let us indeed be going, so that we may die with Him[d]”.
Jesus Says, I Am The Resurrection And The Life. The One Believing In Me Will Live
17 So having come, Jesus found him already having four days in the tomb. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stades[e] away. 19 And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary in order that they might console them concerning their brother. 20 So Martha, when she heard that Jesus was coming, met Him. But Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Then Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask God, God will give You”. 23 Jesus says to her, “Your brother will rise-up”. 24 Martha says to Him, “I know that he will rise-up in the resurrection at the last day”. 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one believing in Me— even though he dies, he will live. 26 And everyone living and believing in Me will never die, ever. Do you believe this?” 27 She says to Him, “Yes, Lord. I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, the One coming into the world”. 28 And having said this, she went away and called Mary her sister secretly, having said, “The Teacher is here and is calling you”. 29 And that one, when she heard, arose quickly and was going to Him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him. 31 So the Jews— the ones being with her in the house and consoling her—having seen that Mary stood up quickly and went out, followed her, having supposed that she was going to the tomb in order that she might weep there. 32 Then Mary— when she came where Jesus was, having seen Him— fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died”. 33 Then Jesus— when He saw her weeping, and the Jews having come with her weeping— was deeply-moved[f] in His spirit, and troubled[g] Himself. 34 And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They say to Him, “Lord, come and see”. 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews were saying, “Look— how He was loving him!” 37 And[h] some of them said, “Was not this One— the One having opened the eyes of the blind one— able to cause that this one also should not die?”
Jesus Calls Lazarus Out of The Tomb. Many Believe In Him
38 Then Jesus, again being deeply-moved in Himself, comes to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying upon[i] it. 39 Jesus says, “Take away the stone”. Martha, the sister of the one having come-to-an-end[j], says to Him, “Lord, he already stinks, for it is the fourth-day”. 40 Jesus says to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted His eyes upward, and said, “Father, I thank You that You heard Me. 42 Now I knew that You always hear Me. But I said this for the sake of the crowd having stood around— in order that they may believe that You sent Me forth”. 43 And having said these things, He shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come outside!” 44 The one having died came out, having been bound as to the feet and the hands with grave-cloths. And his face had been bound-around with a face-cloth. Jesus says to them, “Unbind him, and allow him to go”. 45 Therefore many of the Jews— the ones having come to Mary, and having seen the things which He did— believed in Him.
Some Told The Pharisees. Caiaphas Prophesies, Better For One To Die For The People
46 But some[k] of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus did. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together a council[l]. And they were saying, “What are we doing? Because this man is doing many signs! 48 If we tolerate Him in this manner, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place[m] and nation”. 49 But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being the high priest of that year, said to them, “You do not know anything— 50 nor do you consider that it is better for you that one Man die for the people, and the whole nation not perish”. 51 Now he did not say this from himself, but being the high priest of that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation. 52 And not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God having been scattered [in the world]. 53 Therefore from that day, they planned to kill Him.
Jesus Withdraws From The Public
54 Therefore Jesus was no longer walking in public among the Jews, but went away from there to the region near the wilderness, to a city being called Ephraim. And He stayed there with the disciples.
At The Passover, Everyone Was Looking For Jesus
55 Now the Passover [Feast] of the Jews was near. And many went up to Jerusalem from the country[n] before the Passover [Feast], in order that they might purify themselves. 56 So they were seeking Jesus, and saying, standing with one another in the temple, “What seems right to you— that He will by no means come to the Feast?” 57 And the chief priests and the Pharisees had given commands that if anyone came-to-know where He was, he should disclose it— so that they might seize Him.
Footnotes
- John 11:2 That is, in 12:3.
- John 11:13 That is, consisting of physical sleep.
- John 11:16 Thomas is a Greek rendering of the Aramaic word for ‘twin’. Didymus is the Greek word meaning ‘twin’.
- John 11:16 Or, him (Lazarus).
- John 11:18 That is, 1.7 miles or 2.8 kilometers.
- John 11:33 The emotion in view must be determined from the context. Some think Jesus shared their bereaved perspective, culminating in the weeping in v 35; others think anger at death is in view. If this intense emotion was expressed, this may be rendered ‘groaned’.
- John 11:33 Or, stirred, agitated.
- John 11:37 Or, But.
- John 11:38 Or, against, over.
- John 11:39 That is, died.
- John 11:46 That is, some Jews who did not believe; or, some of the many who believed, to present proof of who Jesus was.
- John 11:47 That is, an informal meeting of some of the leaders. Or, the Sanhedrin, the whole council of elders.
- John 11:48 That is, our position; or, our Holy Place, our temple.
- John 11:55 That is, the land of Judea. Passover could only be celebrated inside Jerusalem.
John 11
English Standard Version
The Death of Lazarus
11 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of (A)Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (B)It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, (C)he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, (D)“This illness does not lead to death. It is for (E)the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
5 Now (F)Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus[a] was ill, (G)he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, (H)“Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, (I)“Rabbi, (J)the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, (K)“Are there not twelve hours in the day? (L)If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But (M)if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not (N)in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus (O)has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 (P)So Thomas, called the Twin,[b] said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, (Q)that we may die with him.”
I Am the Resurrection and the Life
17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb (R)four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles[c] off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary (S)to console them concerning their brother. 20 (T)So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to (U)Jesus, “Lord, (V)if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, (W)God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 (X)Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in (Y)the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, (Z)“I am the resurrection and (AA)the life.[d] Whoever believes in me, (AB)though he die, (AC)yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me (AD)shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; (AE)I believe that (AF)you are the Christ, the Son of God, (AG)who is coming into the world.”
Jesus Weeps
28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, (AH)“The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews (AI)who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, (AJ)“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he (AK)was deeply moved[e] in his spirit and (AL)greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 (AM)Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See (AN)how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he (AO)who opened the eyes of the blind man (AP)also have kept this man from dying?”
Jesus Raises Lazarus
38 Then Jesus, (AQ)deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was (AR)a cave, and (AS)a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for (AT)he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, (AU)“Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see (AV)the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus (AW)lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 (AX)I knew that you always hear me, but I said this (AY)on account of the people standing around, (AZ)that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 (BA)The man who had died came out, (BB)his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and (BC)his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
The Plot to Kill Jesus
45 (BD)Many of the Jews therefore, (BE)who had come with Mary and (BF)had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees (BG)gathered (BH)the council and said, (BI)“What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and (BJ)the Romans will come and take away both our (BK)place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, (BL)Caiaphas, (BM)who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that (BN)it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but (BO)being high priest that year (BP)he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and (BQ)not for the nation only, but also (BR)to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they (BS)made plans to put him to death.
54 Jesus therefore (BT)no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.
55 Now (BU)the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and (BV)many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover (BW)to purify themselves. 56 (BX)They were looking for[f] Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.
Footnotes
- John 11:6 Greek he; also verse 17
- John 11:16 Greek Didymus
- John 11:18 Greek fifteen stadia; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters
- John 11:25 Some manuscripts omit and the life
- John 11:33 Or was indignant; also verse 38
- John 11:56 Greek were seeking for
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.