The Death of Lazarus 1 UDB A man named Lazarus fell very sick. He lived in the village of Bethany where Mary and Martha 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 UDB This is the same Mary who later would pour perfume on the Lord to show her love and honor of him, and would wipe his feet with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was sick. BSB BSB: (Mary, whose brother Lazarus was sick, was to anoint the Lord with perfume and wipe His feet with her hair.)
3 UDB So the two sisters sent someone to tell Jesus about Lazarus; they said, "Lord, the one you love is ill." BSB BSB: So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one You love is sick.”
4 UDB When Jesus heard about Lazarus's illness, he said, "This illness will not end in the death of Lazarus. The purpose of this illness is so that people may see and know how great God is when he does wonderful things and also so that I, the Son of God, may show my power to give life." 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 UDB Now Jesus loved Martha, her sister Mary, and Lazarus. BSB BSB: Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
6 UDB Nevertheless, when Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, he delayed going to see him. He stayed 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 UDB Then he said to disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." BSB BSB: and then He said to the disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
8 UDB The disciples said, "Teacher, just a short while ago the Jews who oppose you wanted to murder you with stones, and now you want to go back there again!" BSB BSB: “Rabbi,” they replied, “the Jews just tried to stone You, and You are going back there?”
9 UDB Jesus answered them, "You know there are twelve hours of light in a day, is that not true? The one who walks during the daytime will walk safely because he can see what is in the road. 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 UDB However, when a person walks during the night, he may easily stumble because he cannot see." BSB BSB: But if anyone walks at night, he will stumble, because he has no light.”
11 UDB After saying these things, he said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, 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 UDB The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will get well." BSB BSB: His disciples replied, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get better.”
13 UDB Jesus was really speaking about Lazarus's death, but the disciples thought that he was talking about the sleep that we all know gives us rest. BSB BSB: They thought that Jesus was talking about actual sleep, but He was speaking about the death of Lazarus.
14 UDB Then he told them plainly, "Lazarus has died." BSB BSB: So Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead,
15 UDB Jesus continued, "But, for your sakes, I am glad that I was not there when he died so that you may see why you can trust in me. Now it is time; let us go to him." 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 UDB Then Thomas, who was called 'The Twin,' said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go with Jesus so 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.”
Jesus Comforts Martha and Mary 17 UDB When Jesus arrived in Bethany, he found that Lazarus had already died and had been in the tomb for four days. BSB BSB: When Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had already spent four days in the tomb.
18 UDB Now Jerusalem was only about three kilometers from Bethany. BSB BSB: Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, a little less than two miles away,
19 UDB Many Jews knew Lazarus and his family, and they came from Jerusalem to comfort Martha and Mary over their brother's death. BSB BSB: and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them in the loss of their brother.
20 UDB When Martha heard someone say Jesus was nearby, she went out to the road to meet him. Mary did not get up 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 UDB When Martha saw Jesus, she said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. BSB BSB: Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
22 UDB Yet, even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you." BSB BSB: But even now I know that God will give You whatever You ask of Him.”
23 UDB Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." BSB BSB: “Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her.
24 UDB Martha said to him, "I know that he will come alive again on the day when God raises all the dead on the last day." BSB BSB: Martha replied, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 UDB Jesus said to her, "I am the one who raises people from the dead; I am the one who gives them life. Whoever trusts in me, even if he dies, yet he will live again. BSB BSB: Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.
26 UDB All those who receive life joined to me and who trust in me—they will never die. Do you believe me?" BSB BSB: And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 UDB She said to him, "Yes, Lord! I trust what you say and I trust who you are, that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one God promised would come into the 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 UDB After she said that, she returned to the house and took Mary her sister aside privately and said to her, "The Teacher is here, and he is calling for 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 UDB When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went out to him. BSB BSB: And when Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to Him.
30 UDB Now Jesus had not yet come into the village; 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 UDB The people who had come to the house to comfort the sisters saw Mary get up quickly and go outside. So they followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb where they had buried Lazarus in order to grieve for her brother 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 UDB Mary came to the place where Jesus was; when she saw him, she fell down before him at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." 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 UDB He said, "Where have you laid his body?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." BSB BSB: “Where have you put him?” He asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they answered.
36 UDB So the Jews said, "See how much he loved Lazarus!" BSB BSB: Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”
37 UDB However, some others said, "Did he not open the eyes of the blind man? Why could he not have kept 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?”
Jesus Raises Lazarus (Acts 9:36–43)
38 UDB Jesus was physically shaken and emotionally upset when he came to the tomb. It was a cave, and the entrance had been covered by a large stone. BSB BSB: Jesus, once again deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.
39 UDB Jesus gave a command to those standing there, "Take away the stone." However, Martha objected, "Lord, by this time there will be a putrid odor, for he has been dead for four days." 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 UDB Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you the truth when I told you that if you trusted me, you would see who God is and you would know what God can do?" BSB BSB: Jesus replied, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”
41 UDB So they took away the stone. Jesus looked up toward heaven and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard 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 UDB I know that you always hear me. I said this for the sake of the people who are standing here so that they might put their trust in you and have confidence in the fact 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 UDB After he said that, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" BSB BSB: After Jesus had said this, He called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
44 UDB The man who had died came out! His hands were still wrapped and his feet were still bound with linen strips of cloth, and there was a cloth wrapped around his face as well. Jesus said to them, "Take off the strips of cloth that bind him and untie him. Let him 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.
The Plot to Kill Jesus (Matthew 26:1–5; Mark 14:1–2; Luke 22:1–2)
45 UDB As a result, many of the Jews who had come to see Mary and who had witnessed what Jesus did put their trust in him. BSB BSB: Therefore many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in Him.
46 UDB Nevertheless, some of the others went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. BSB BSB: But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.
47 UDB So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered all the members of the Jewish council together. They were saying to each other, "What are we going to do? This man is performing many miracles. 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 UDB If we allow him to keep doing them, everyone will trust in him and rebel against Rome. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our temple and our nation!" 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 UDB One of them on the council was Caiaphas, the high priest for that year. He said to them, "You all 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 UDB Do you not realize that it is better that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perishes?" 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 UDB He said that, not because he thought of it himself. Instead, since he was the high priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation. 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 UDB But he was also prophesying that Jesus would die, not just for the Jewish nation only, but also so he could gather into one nation all the children of God, those who live in other lands everywhere. BSB BSB: and not only for the nation, but also for the scattered children of God, to gather them together into one.
53 UDB So from that day forward, the council began to look for any way to arrest Jesus and put him to death. BSB BSB: So from that day on they plotted to kill Him.
54 UDB Because of that, Jesus no longer traveled around publicly among his Jewish opponents. Instead, he left Jerusalem and, with the disciples, went to a town called Ephraim in an area near the wilderness and desert region. There he stayed 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 UDB Now it was almost time for the Jewish Passover Celebration, and many worshipers went up from the country and the villages to Jerusalem. They would wash themselves in preparation, to make themselves clean according to the Jewish rules, so that they would be allowed to celebrate the Passover. 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 UDB The worshipers who came to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival were all looking for Jesus. When they came and stood in the temple, they said to one another, "What do you think? He will not come to the Passover, will he?" 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 UDB The Jewish chief priests and the Pharisees had issued orders that if anyone found out where Jesus was, they should report it 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.