1 Kwakukhona othile ogulayo, uLazaru waseBethaniya umuzi wakubo kaMariya nodadewabo uMarta.
2 UMariya kwakunguye owagcoba iNkosi ngamafutha, wesula izinyawo zayo ngezinwele zakhe, omnewabo uLazaru wayegula.
3 Ngakho-ke odadewabo bathumela kuye, bathi: “Nkosi, bheka, lo omthandayo uyagula.”
4 UJesu esekuzwile lokho wathi: “Lokhu kugula akusikho okokufa, kodwa kungenxa yenkazimulo kaNkulunkulu ukuba iNdodana kaNkulunkulu ikhazimuliswe ngakho.”
5 Kepha uJesu wayebathanda oMarta nodadewabo noLazaru.
6 Ngakho-ke kwathi ezwa ukuthi uyagula, wahlala futhi izinsuku ezimbili endaweni abe kuyo.
7 Emva kwalokho wathi kubafundi bakhe: “Asibuye, siye eJudiya.”
8 Abafundi bathi kuye: “Rabi, abaJuda basand’ ukufuna ukukukhanda ngamatshe; usaya futhi khona na?”
9 UJesu waphendula wathi: “Awakho yini amahora ayishumi nambili emini na? Uma umuntu ehamba emini, akakhubeki, ngokuba ubona ukukhanya kwaleli zwe.
10 Kodwa uma umuntu ehamba ebusuku, uyakhubeka, ngokuba kungekho ukukhanya kuye.”
11 Wakhuluma lokho; emva kwalokho wathi kubo: “ULazaru umhlobo wethu ulele, kepha ngiyahamba ukuba ngimvuse ebuthongweni.”
12 Abafundi bakhe base bethi kuye: “Nkosi, uma elele, uyakusinda.”
13 Kepha uJesu wayekhuluma ngokufa kwakhe, kepha bona babethi ukhuluma ngokulala ubuthongo.
14 Ngakho-ke uJesu wathi kubo ngokuchachileyo: “ULazaru ufile;
15 ngiyathokoza ngenxa yenu ukuthi bengingekho, ukuze nikholwe; kepha asiye kuye.”
16 Khona uTomase, othiwa uDidimu, wathi kubafundi abakanye naye: “Asihambe nathi, ukuze sife kanye naye.”
17 Kwathi-ke esefika uJesu, wamfumana esenezinsuku ezine ethuneni.
18 IBethaniya laliseduze neJerusalema, kungaba ngamastadiyu* ayishumi nanhlanu.
19 Abaningi kubaJuda babefikile koMarta noMariya ukubakhuza ngomnewabo.
20 Ngakho uMarta esezwe ukuthi uJesu uyeza, waya ukumhlangabeza, kepha uMariya wahlala endlini.
21 Wayesethi uMarta kuJesu: “Nkosi, uma ubukhona, umnewethu nga engafanga;
22 kepha ngiyazi nakalokhu ukuthi nokuba yini ongakucela kuNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu uzakukunika khona.”
23 UJesu wathi kuye: “Umnewenu uzakuvuka.”
24 UMarta wathi kuye: “Ngiyazi ukuthi uyakuvuka ekuvukeni ngosuku lokugcina.”
25 UJesu wathi kuye: “Mina ngingukuvuka nokuphila; okholwa yimi, noma efa, wophila.
26 Nalowo ophila, akholwe yimi, kasoze afa naphakade. Uyakholwa yilokho na?”
27 Wathi kuye: “Yebo, Nkosi, ngiyakholwa ukuthi wena unguKristu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, obezakuza ezweni.”
28 Eseshilo lokho wamuka wabiza uMariya udadewabo ngasese, wathi: “UMfundisi ukhona, uyakubiza.”
29 Yena-ke ekuzwa lokho wasuka masinyane, waya kuye.
30 Kepha uJesu wayengakafiki emzini, kodwa wayesekuleyo ndawo uMarta amhlangabeza kuyo.
31 AbaJuda ababesendlini naye bemkhuza, bebona uMariya esuka masinyane ephuma, bamlandela, bathi: “Uya ethuneni ukuba akhale khona.”
32 UMariya esefike lapho ekhona uJesu, embona, wawa ngasezinyaweni zakhe, wathi: “Nkosi, uma ubukhona, umnewethu nga engafanga.”
33 Ngakho uJesu embona ekhala, nabaJuda abafika naye bekhala, wabubula emoyeni, wakhathazeka;
34 wathi: “Nimbekephi na?”Bathi kuye: “Nkosi, woza ubone.”
35 UJesu wakhala izinyembezi.
36 Ngakho-ke abaJuda bathi: “Bheka, ukumthanda kwakhe okungaka.”
37 Kepha abanye kubo bathi: “Lo owavula amehlo empumputhe wayengekwenze yini ukuba yena lo angafi na?”
38 Ngakho uJesu, ebubula futhi phakathi kwakhe, wafika ethuneni. Lalingumhume, kwakukhona itshe phezu kwawo.
39 Wathi uJesu: “Susani itshe.”UMarta, udadewabo wofileyo, wathi kuye: “Nkosi, usenuka; ngokuba sezizine.”
40 UJesu wathi kuye: “Angishongo yini kuwe ukuthi uma ukholwa, uzakubona inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu, na?”
41 Balisusa-ke itshe. Kepha uJesu waphakamisa amehlo, wathi: “Baba, ngiyakubonga ngokuba ungizwile.
42 Bengazi mina ukuthi ungizwa njalo, kodwa ngenxa yesixuku esingiphahlileyo ngishilo lokho, ukuze bakholwe ukuthi nguwena ongithumileyo.”
43 Esekhulume lokho wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “Lazaru, phuma.”
44 Waphuma ofileyo eboshwe izinyawo nezandla ngezindwangu, ubuso bakhe bumboziwe ngeduku. UJesu wathi kubo: “Mthukululeni, nimyeke ahambe.”
45 Khona abaningi kubaJuda ababezile kuMariya bebona abekwenzile, bakholwa nguye.
46 Kepha abanye babo baya kubaFarisi, babatshela abekwenzile uJesu.
47 Ngalokho abapristi abakhulu nabaFarisi base bemema umphakathi, bathi: “Siyakwenze njani na? Lo muntu wenza izibonakaliso eziningi;
48 uma simyeka njalo, bazakukholwa nguye bonke; amaRoma ayakufika, asamuke indawo nesizwe.”
49 Kepha othile wabo, uKayafase, engumpristi omkhulu walowo mnyaka, wathi kubo: “Anazi lutho nina;
50 aniqondi futhi ukuthi kunilungele ukuba umuntu oyedwa afele abantu, isizwe sonke singabhubhi.”
51 Lokho kakushongo ngokwakhe, kodwa engumpristi omkhulu walowo mnyaka waprofetha ukuba uJesu wayezakufa ngenxa yesizwe;
52 kungengenxa yesizwe kuphela, kepha ukuba abuthele ndawonye abantwana bakaNkulunklu abahlakazekileyo, babe munye.
53 Kusukela kulolo suku baceba ukuba bambulale.
54 Ngakho uJesu kabuyange esahamba obala phakathi kwabaJuda, kepha wamuka lapho, waya ezweni eliseduze nehlane emzini othiwa i-Efrayimi; wahlala khona nabafundi bakhe.
55 Lase liseduze iPhasika labaJuda; abaningi abavela emaphandleni bakhuphukela eJerusalema ngaphambi kwePhasika ukuba bazihlambulule.
56 Ngakho bamfuna uJesu, bexoxa bemi ethempelini, bethi: “Nithini na? Akayikuza nempela emkhosini na?”
57 Abapristi abakhulu nabaFarisi babekhiphe umyalo wokuthi uma kukhona owaziyo lapho ekhona, ababikele, ukuze bambambe.