Old/New Testament

11 A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived at Bethany, the home of Mary and her sister Martha.

² Mary was the same woman that put oil on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was sick.

³ So the sisters sent someone to tell Jesus. They said, `Lord, the one whom you love is sick.'

⁴ Jesus heard the message. He said, `The man is sick, but he will not die from it. But this will show people that God is great, and his Son also.'

⁵ Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

⁶ When he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two days more.

⁷ After that, he said to his disciples, `Let us go back again to Judea.'

⁸ They said, `Master, it is not long since the Jews wanted to kill you with stones. Are you going back there again?'

⁹ Jesus answered them, `Are there not twelve hours in the day? If a person walks in the daylight, then he will not fall. He can see by the light that is in the world.

¹⁰ But if a person walks at night, he will fall because there is no light for him to see.'

¹¹ After he said this, he said also, `Our friend Lazarus is sleeping, but I am going to wake him up.'

¹² His disciples said, `Lord, if he is sleeping then he will get well again.'

¹³ But Jesus meant that Lazarus had died. The disciples thought that Lazarus was sleeping to have a rest.

¹⁴ Then Jesus told them plainly. He said, `Lazarus is dead.

¹⁵ For your sake I am glad that I was not there. You will really believe in me. But come, let us go to him.'

¹⁶ Then Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to the other disciples, `Let us all go and die with Jesus.'

¹⁷ When Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had been buried four days.

¹⁸ Bethany was only about two miles from Jerusalem.

¹⁹ Many Jews had come out to see Martha and Mary. They came to comfort them because their brother had died.

²⁰ As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary just stayed in the house.

²¹ Martha said to Jesus, `Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

²² But even yet, I know that God will give you anything that you ask for.'

²³ Jesus said, `Your brother will rise again.'

²⁴ Martha said, `I know that he will rise when the dead people are raised up on the last day.'

²⁵ Jesus said, `I am the one who will raise people up and give them life. The person who believes in me will live, even though he has died.

²⁶ Anyone who is living and who believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?'

²⁷ She said, `Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ. I believe that you are the Son of God who was to come into the world.'

²⁸ When she had said this, she went back to call her sister. She said quietly, `Mary, the Master has come. He is calling you.'

²⁹ When Mary heard that, she got up quickly and came to him.