John

Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

1A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived.

2(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

2(This was the Mary who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. Lazarus was her brother.)

NoteTo "anoint" someone meant to pour scented oil or perfume on them. It was a way of showing great honor to a guest.

3Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

3So the sisters sent a message to Jesus. They said, "Lord, the friend you love is sick."

4When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

4When Jesus heard this, he said, "This sickness will not end in death. It is for God's glory, so that God's Son will be honored through it."

5Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

5Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

6When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.

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

7Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.

7After that he said to his disciples, "Let's go back to Judea."

8His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?

8The disciples said, "Teacher, the Jewish leaders there just tried to kill you with stones. Are you going back?"

9Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.

9Jesus answered, "There are twelve hours of daylight, aren't there? Anyone who walks in the day does not trip, because he sees by this world's light.

10But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

10But if someone walks at night, he trips, because he has no light."

11These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

11After saying this, he told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. I am going to wake him up."

12Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

12The disciples said, "Lord, if he is asleep, he will get better."

13Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

13Jesus meant that Lazarus had died. But they thought he was talking about ordinary sleep.

14Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

14So Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.

15And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.

15And for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you will believe. Now let's go to him."

16Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

16Then Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to the other disciples, "Let's go too, so we can die with him."

Note"Didymus" is the Greek word for "twin." It was Thomas's nickname.

17Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

17When Jesus arrived, he learned that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.

18Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:

18Bethany was close to Jerusalem, a little less than two miles away.

NoteThe KJV says "fifteen furlongs." A furlong was an old measure of distance. Fifteen of them is a little under two miles.

19And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

19Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother.

20Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house.

21Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

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

22But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

22But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask him for."

23Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

24Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

24Martha said, "I know he will rise again when the dead are raised on the last day."

25Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever trusts in me will live, even if he dies.

26And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

26And everyone who lives and trusts in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

27She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

27She said to him, "Yes, Lord. I believe you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was coming into the world."

28And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.

28After she said this, she went and quietly called her sister Mary. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and he is asking for you."

29As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.

29As soon as Mary heard that, she got up quickly and went to him.

30Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.

30Jesus had not yet come into the village. He was still where Martha had met him.

31The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.

31The Jews who were in the house comforting Mary saw her jump up and hurry out. They followed her, thinking she was going to the tomb to cry there.

32Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

32When Mary reached Jesus and saw him, she fell down at his feet. She said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

33When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,

33When Jesus saw her crying, and the people with her crying too, he was deeply stirred and troubled inside.

34And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

34He asked, "Where have you put him?" They said, "Lord, come and see."

35Jesus wept.

35Jesus cried.

36Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

36The Jews said, "Look how much he loved him!"

37And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?

37But some of them said, "He opened the eyes of a blind man. Couldn't he have kept this man from dying?"

38Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

38Deeply stirred again, Jesus came to the tomb. It was a cave, with a stone laid across the opening.

39Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

39Jesus said, "Move the stone away." Martha, the dead man's sister, said, "Lord, by now there is a smell. He has been dead four days."

40Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

40Jesus said to her, "Didn't I tell you that if you believed, you would see God's glory?"

41Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

41So they moved the stone away. Jesus looked up and said, "Father, thank you for hearing me.

42And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

42I knew that you always hear me. But I said it for the sake of the people standing here, so they will believe that you sent me."

43And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

43After he said this, he shouted in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"

44And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

44The dead man came out. His hands and feet were wrapped in strips of cloth, and a cloth covered his face. Jesus said, "Unwrap him and let him go."

NoteThe KJV calls the face covering a "napkin." It was not a dinner napkin but a cloth used to wrap a dead body for burial.

45Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

45Many of the Jews who had come to Mary saw what Jesus did, and they believed in him.

46But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.

46But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

47Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.

47So the chief priests and the Pharisees called the ruling council together. They said, "What are we doing? This man is doing many miracles.

48If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

48If we leave him alone, everyone will believe in him. Then the Romans will come and take away our temple and our nation."

49And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,

49One of them was Caiaphas, the high priest that year. He said to them, "You know nothing at all.

50Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

50You don't see that it is better for you if one man dies for the people, instead of the whole nation being destroyed."

51And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

51He did not say this on his own. As high priest that year, he was speaking God's message that Jesus would die for the nation.

52And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

52And not for that nation only, but to gather God's scattered children together and make them one.

53Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

53So from that day on, they planned together how to kill him.

54Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.

54So Jesus no longer moved about openly among the Jews. He left for a town called Ephraim, near the desert, and stayed there with his disciples.

55And the Jews’ passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.

55The Jewish Passover was almost here. Many people went up from the countryside to Jerusalem before Passover to make themselves clean.

56Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?

56They kept looking for Jesus. Standing in the temple, they asked each other, "What do you think? Won't he come to the feast?"

57Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him.

57The chief priests and the Pharisees had ordered that anyone who knew where Jesus was must report it, so they could arrest him.