John 11
The Death of Lazarus
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of aMary and her sister Martha. 2 aIt 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, ahe whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, a“This illness does not lead to death. It is for bthe glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
5 Now aJesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, ahe stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, a“Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, a“Rabbi, bthe Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, a“Are there not twelve hours in the day? bIf anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But aif anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not ain him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus ahas 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 aSo Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, bthat 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 afour days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary ato console them concerning their brother. 20 aSo when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to aJesus, “Lord, bif you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, aGod will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 aMartha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in bthe resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, a“I am the resurrection and bthe life. Whoever believes in me, cthough he die, dyet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me ashall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; aI believe that byou are the Christ, the Son of God, cwho is coming into the world.”
Jesus Weeps
28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, a“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 awho 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, a“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 awas deeply moved in his spirit and bgreatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 aJesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See ahow he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he awho opened the eyes of the blind man balso have kept this man from dying?”
Jesus Raises Lazarus
38 Then Jesus, adeeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was ba cave, and ca 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 ahe has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, a“Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see bthe glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus alifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 aI knew that you always hear me, but I said this bon account of the people standing around, cthat 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 aThe man who had died came out, bhis hands and feet bound with linen strips, and chis face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
The Plot to Kill Jesus
45 aMany of the Jews therefore, bwho had come with Mary and chad 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 agathered bthe council and said, c“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 athe Romans will come and take away both our bplace and our nation.” 49 But one of them, aCaiaphas, bwho was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that ait 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 abeing high priest that year bhe prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and anot for the nation only, but also bto gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they amade plans to put him to death.
54 Jesus therefore ano 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 athe Passover of the Jews was at hand, and bmany went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover cto purify themselves. 56 aThey were looking for 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.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.