1 ARST A man named Lazarus became very ill. He lived in the village of Bethany where his sisters Mary and Martha also lived. BSB BSB: At this time a man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
2 ARST This is the same Mary who later would pour perfume on the Lord and would wipe{ the oil off of} his feet with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was ill. BSB BSB: (Mary, whose brother Lazarus was sick, was to anoint the Lord with perfume and wipe His feet with her hair.)
3 ARST So the two sisters sent someone to tell Jesus about Lazarus. They said,“Lord, the one whom you love is very ill.{ Please come!}” BSB BSB: So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one You love is sick.”
4 ARST When Jesus heard about Lazarus’ illness, he said,“This illness will not end in Lazarus’ death. Rather, the purpose of this illness is to reveal how great God is. Lazarus became ill in order that the illness may reveal how great I, the Son of God, am.” BSB BSB: When Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
5 ARST (Jesus loved Martha, her sister Mary, and Lazarus.) BSB BSB: Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
6 ARST So when Jesus heard that Lazarus was ill, he deliberately remained where he was for two more days. BSB BSB: So on hearing that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two days,
7 ARST Then after{ those two days} Jesus said to his disciples,“Let us go back to the region of Judea.” BSB BSB: and then He said to the disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
8 ARST His disciples said,“Teacher, the Jewish leaders{ in Judea} currently want to kill you with stones! You surely should not return there again!” BSB BSB: “Rabbi,” they replied, “the Jews just tried to stone You, and You are going back there?”
9 ARST Jesus replied,“You know that there are 12 hours of daylight. The person who walks during the daytime will walk safely because the light allows him to see where he is going. BSB BSB: Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? If anyone walks in the daytime, he will not stumble, because he sees by the light of this world.
10 ARST However, when a person walks during the night, he will stumble because there is no light to allow him to see where he is going.” BSB BSB: But if anyone walks at night, he will stumble, because he has no light.”
11 ARST After saying these things, he told them,“Our friend Lazarus is sleeping, but I will go there to wake him up.” BSB BSB: After He had said this, He told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up.”
12 ARST So his disciples told him,“Lord, if he is sleeping, then he will get well.” BSB BSB: His disciples replied, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get better.”
13 ARST (Jesus was actually speaking about Lazarus’ death, but his disciples thought that he was talking about actual sleep.) BSB BSB: They thought that Jesus was talking about actual sleep, but He was speaking about the death of Lazarus.
14 ARST So Jesus told them clearly,“Lazarus is dead. BSB BSB: So Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead,
15 ARST And I rejoice that I was not there{ when he died}.{ I let this happen} so that you may trust in me.{ This is} for your benefit. Rather than staying here, let us go to where he is.” BSB BSB: and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
16 ARST So Thomas, whom they called‘The Twin,’ said to the rest of the disciples,“Let us also go with the Teacher in order that we may die with him.” BSB BSB: Then Thomas called Didymus said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”
17 ARST So when Jesus arrived{ in the village of Bethany,} he learned that people had already put Lazarus’ dead body in a tomb four days before then. BSB BSB: When Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had already spent four days in the tomb.
18 ARST (Jerusalem was only about three kilometers away from the village of Bethany.) BSB BSB: Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, a little less than two miles away,
19 ARST Many Jewish people came to Martha and Mary{ in Bethany} in order to console both of them concerning their brother Lazarus’ death. BSB BSB: and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them in the loss of their brother.
20 ARST When Martha heard{ someone say} that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him. Mary{ did not go with her} but stayed in the house. BSB BSB: So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet Him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 ARST When Martha met Jesus, she said to him,“Lord, if you had only been here sooner, my brother would not be dead! BSB BSB: Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
22 ARST However, even now{ that he is dead} I am certain that God will do for you whatever you ask him to do.” BSB BSB: But even now I know that God will give You whatever You ask of Him.”
23 ARST Jesus told her,“Your brother will live again.” BSB BSB: “Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her.
24 ARST Martha told him,“I am certain that my brother will live again when God raises all dead people on the last day{ when he judges everyone}.” BSB BSB: Martha replied, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 ARST Jesus told her,“I am the one who causes dead people to live again. I am the one who gives people eternal life. Whoever trusts in me will live forever, even if his body dies. BSB BSB: Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.
26 ARST All those who receive eternal life and trust in me will surely live forever. Do you believe that this is true?” BSB BSB: And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 ARST Martha told him,“Yes, I do, Lord! I do indeed believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God.{ You are} the one whom God promised would come into this world.” BSB BSB: “Yes, Lord,” she answered, “I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
28 ARST After she said that, she returned{ to the house} and secretly summoned her sister Mary. She told Mary,“The Teacher has arrived, and he is summoning you.” BSB BSB: After Martha had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside to tell her, “The Teacher is here and is asking for you.”
29 ARST When Mary heard what her sister said, she rose quickly and went out to meet Jesus. BSB BSB: And when Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to Him.
30 ARST (At that time Jesus had not yet entered the village of Bethany. Rather, he was still at the place where Martha had met him.) BSB BSB: Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met Him.
31 ARST The Jewish people who were comforting Mary in her house saw her rise quickly and go outside, so they followed her. They thought that she was going to the tomb{ where they had buried Lazarus} in order to grieve there. BSB BSB: When the Jews who were in the house consoling Mary saw how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
32 ARST When Mary arrived at the place where Jesus had spoken to Martha and saw him, she threw herself down on the ground in front of his feet. She told him,“Lord, if you had only been here sooner, my brother would not be dead!” BSB BSB: When Mary came to Jesus and saw Him, she fell at His feet and said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
34 ARST He asked,“Where have you buried his body?” They told him,“Lord, come and see{ where he is}.” BSB BSB: “Where have you put him?” He asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they answered.
36 ARST So the Jewish people{ who were with Mary} said among themselves,“See how much he loved Lazarus!” BSB BSB: Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”
37 ARST However, others among them said,“He could enable the blind man to see. But maybe he didn’ t have enough power to prevent this man from dying!” BSB BSB: But some of them asked, “Could not this man who opened the eyes of the blind also have kept Lazarus from dying?”
38 ARST Jesus then was emotionally agitated again when he came to the tomb.(It was a cave, and a large rock was covering its entrance.) BSB BSB: Jesus, once again deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.
39 ARST Jesus said,“Remove the rock from the cave’ s entrance.”{ However,} Lazarus’ sister Martha told him,“Lord, by this time his body will smell bad because he died four days ago.” BSB BSB: “Take away the stone,” Jesus said. “Lord, by now he stinks,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man. “It has already been four days.”
40 ARST Jesus told her,“I surely told you that if you trusted me, you would see how great God is!” BSB BSB: Jesus replied, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”
41 ARST So some people removed the rock from the cave’ s entrance. Jesus looked up toward heaven and said,“Father, I thank you for listening to me. BSB BSB: So they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted His eyes upward and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.
42 ARST I know that you always listen to me. Nevertheless, I said that for the sake of the people standing here. I said this in order that they might be confident that you sent me.” BSB BSB: I knew that You always hear Me, but I say this for the benefit of the people standing here, so they may believe that You sent Me.”
43 ARST After he said that prayer, he shouted loudly,“Lazarus, come out of the tomb!” BSB BSB: After Jesus had said this, He called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
44 ARST The man who had died came out of the tomb!{ The people who prepared him for burial} had wrapped his feet and hands with strips of cloth and had wrapped a cloth around his face.{ So} Jesus told the people standing there,“Take off the strips of cloth that bind him. Allow him to go.” BSB BSB: The man who had been dead came out with his hands and feet bound in strips of linen, and his face wrapped in a cloth. “Unwrap him and let him go,” Jesus told them.
45 ARST As a result, many of the Jewish people who had come to comfort Mary and who had witnessed what Jesus had done trusted him. BSB BSB: Therefore many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in Him.
46 ARST Nevertheless, some of the people there went to the Pharisees and reported to them what Jesus had done. BSB BSB: But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.
47 ARST So the ruling priests and the Pharisees gathered together the members of the highest Jewish ruling council. They were saying to each other,“What are we going to do about this man? He is performing many miraculous signs. BSB BSB: Then the chief priests and Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs.
48 ARST If we allow him to keep doing these miracles, everyone will trust in him{ and make him their king}. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our temple and our people!” BSB BSB: If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
49 ARST One member of this council was Caiaphas. He was the high priest during that year. He told them,“You people know nothing! BSB BSB: But one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all!
50 ARST You do not realize that it would be much better for you to have one man die on behalf of the people than let the Romans kill all of the Jewish people.” BSB BSB: You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”
51 ARST (Caiaphas did not say this because he thought of it himself. Rather, since he was the high priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus would die on behalf of the Jewish people. BSB BSB: Caiaphas did not say this on his own. Instead, as high priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus would die for the nation,
52 ARST { He was also prophesying that Jesus would die,} not only for the Jewish people, but also in order to gather into one people all the children of God whom God has dispersed throughout the world.) BSB BSB: and not only for the nation, but also for the scattered children of God, to gather them together into one.
53 ARST So in the days following the day that Caiaphas prophesied, the Jewish council made plans to kill Jesus. BSB BSB: So from that day on they plotted to kill Him.
54 ARST Because of that, Jesus no longer traveled around publicly among his Jewish opponents. Instead, he left Jerusalem and went to a town called Ephraim that is in the region near the desolate area. He remained there with his disciples{ for a while}. BSB BSB: As a result, Jesus no longer went about publicly among the Jews, but He withdrew to a town called Ephraim in an area near the wilderness. And He stayed there with the disciples.
55 ARST At that time the Jewish Passover celebration was about to take place. Many people went up to Jerusalem from the region. They came before the Passover celebration began in order to clean themselves{ according to the Jewish rules for attending the celebration}. BSB BSB: Now the Jewish Passover was near, and many people went up from the country to Jerusalem to purify themselves before the Passover.
56 ARST The people{ who came to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration} were searching for Jesus. While they were standing in the temple{ courtyard}, they asked each other,“What do you think? He will surely not come to the Passover celebration!” BSB BSB: They kept looking for Jesus and asking one another as they stood in the temple courts, “What do you think? Will He come to the feast at all?”
57 ARST { Some time earlier} the Jewish ruling priests and the Pharisees had made a command that anyone who found out where Jesus was must report his location to them so that they could arrest him. BSB BSB: But the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where He was must report it, so that they could arrest Him.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.