King James Version KJV
Good News Translation GNT
1 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
1
A man named Lazarus, who lived in Bethany, became sick. Bethany was the town 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.)
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(This Mary was the one who poured the perfume on the Lord's feet and wiped them with her hair; it was her brother Lazarus who was sick.)
3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
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The sisters sent Jesus a message: "Lord, your dear friend is sick."
4 When 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.
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When Jesus heard it, he said, "The final result of this sickness will not be the death of Lazarus; this has happened in order to bring glory to God, and it will be the means by which the Son of God will receive glory."
5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
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Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
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Yet when he received the news that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days.
7 Then after that saith he to his disciples,Let us go into Judaea again.
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Then he said to the disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."
8 His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?
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"Teacher," the disciples answered, "just a short time ago the people there wanted to stone you; and are you planning to go back?"
9 Jesus 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.
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Jesus said, "A day has twelve hours, doesn't it? So those who walk in broad daylight do not stumble, for they see the light of this world.
10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
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But if they walk during the night they stumble, because they have no light."
11 These 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.
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Jesus said this and then added, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I will go and wake him up."
12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
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The disciples answered, "If he is asleep, Lord, he will get well."
13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
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Jesus meant that Lazarus had died, but they thought he meant natural sleep.
14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly,Lazarus is dead.
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So Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead,
15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.
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but for your sake I am glad that I was not with him, so that you will believe. Let us go to him."
16 Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
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Thomas (called the Twin) said to his fellow disciples, "Let us all go along with the Teacher, so that we may die with him!"
17 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.
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When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had been buried four days before.
18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
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Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem,
19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
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and many Judeans had come to see Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother's death.
20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
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When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed in the house.
21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
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Martha said to Jesus, "If you had been here, Lord, my brother would not have died!
22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
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But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask him for."
23 Jesus saith unto her,Thy brother shall rise again.
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"Your brother will rise to life," Jesus told her.
24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
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"I know," she replied, "that he will rise to life on the last day."
25 Jesus said unto her,I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
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Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die;
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
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and those who live and believe in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
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"Yes, Lord!" she answered. "I do believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."
28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.
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After Martha said this, she went back and called her sister Mary privately. "The Teacher is here," she told her, "and is asking for you."
29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.
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When Mary heard this, she got up and hurried out to meet him
30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.
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(Jesus had not yet arrived in the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him.)
31 The 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.
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The people who were in the house with Mary comforting her followed her when they saw her get up and hurry out. They thought that she was going to the grave to weep there.
32 Then 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.
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Mary arrived where Jesus was, and as soon as she saw him, she fell at his feet. "Lord," she said, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died!"
33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,
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Jesus saw her weeping, and he saw how the people with her were weeping also; his heart was touched, and he was deeply moved.
34 And said,Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
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"Where have you buried him?" he asked them. "Come and see, Lord," they answered.
35 Jesus wept.
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Jesus wept.
36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
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"See how much he loved him!" the people said.
37 And 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?
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But some of them said, "He gave sight to the blind man, didn't he? Could he not have kept Lazarus from dying?"
38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
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Deeply moved once more, Jesus went to the tomb, which was a cave with a stone placed at the entrance.
39 Jesus 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.
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"Take the stone away!" Jesus ordered. Martha, the dead man's sister, answered, "There will be a bad smell, Lord. He has been buried four days!"
40 Jesus saith unto her,Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
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Jesus said to her, "Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believed?"
41 Then 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.
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They took the stone away. Jesus looked up and said, "I thank you, Father, that you listen to me.
42 And 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.
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I know that you always listen to me, but I say this for the sake of the people here, so that they will believe that you sent me."
43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice,Lazarus, come forth.
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After he had said this, he called out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"
44 And 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.
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He came out, his hands and feet wrapped in grave cloths, and with a cloth around his face. "Untie him," Jesus told them, "and let him go."
45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
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Many of the people who had come to visit Mary saw what Jesus did, and they believed in him.
46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.
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But some of them returned to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.
47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
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So the Pharisees and the chief priests met with the Council and said, "What shall we do? Look at all the miracles this man is performing!
48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
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If we let him go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Roman authorities will take action and destroy our Temple and our nation!"
49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,
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One of them, named Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, said, "What fools you are!
50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
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Don't you realize that it is better for you to have one man die for the people, instead of having the whole nation destroyed?"
51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;
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Actually, he did not say this of his own accord; rather, as he was High Priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish people,
52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
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and not only for them, but also to bring together into one body all the scattered people of God.
53 Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.
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From that day on the Jewish authorities made plans to kill Jesus.
54 Jesus 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.
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So Jesus did not travel openly in Judea, but left and went to a place near the desert, to a town named Ephraim, where he stayed with the disciples.
55 And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.
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The time for the Passover Festival was near, and many people went up from the country to Jerusalem to perform the ritual of purification before the festival.
56 Then 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?
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They were looking for Jesus, and as they gathered in the Temple, they asked one another, "What do you think? Surely he will not come to the festival, will he?"
57 Now 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.
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The chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where Jesus was, he must report it, so that they could arrest him.
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.