New Living Translation NLT
The Message Bible MSG
1 Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead.
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Six days before Passover, Jesus entered Bethany where Lazarus, so recently raised from the dead, was living.
2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him.
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Lazarus and his sisters invited Jesus to dinner at their home. Martha served. Lazarus was one of those sitting at the table with them.
3 Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.
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Mary came in with a jar of very expensive aromatic oils, anointed and massaged Jesus' feet, and then wiped them with her hair. The fragrance of the oils filled the house.
4 But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said,
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Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, even then getting ready to betray him, said,
5 “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.”
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"Why wasn't this oil sold and the money given to the poor? It would have easily brought three hundred silver pieces."
6 Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.
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He said this not because he cared two cents about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of their common funds, but also embezzled them.
7 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial.
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Jesus said, "Let her alone. She's anticipating and honoring the day of my burial.
8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
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You always have the poor with you. You don't always have me."
9 When all the people heard of Jesus’ arrival, they flocked to see him and also to see Lazarus, the man Jesus had raised from the dead.
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Word got out among the Jews that he was back in town. The people came to take a look, not only at Jesus but also at Lazarus, who had been raised from the dead.
10 Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus, too,
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So the high priests plotted to kill Lazarus
11 for it was because of him that many of the people had deserted them and believed in Jesus.
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because so many of the Jews were going over and believing in Jesus on account of him. See How Your King Comes
12 The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors
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The next day the huge crowd that had arrived for the Feast heard that Jesus was entering Jerusalem.
13 took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD ! Hail to the King of Israel!”
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They broke off palm branches and went out to meet him. And they cheered: Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in God's name! Yes! The King of Israel!
14 Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said:
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Jesus got a young donkey and rode it, just as the Scripture has it:
15 “Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem. Look, your King is coming, riding on a donkey’s colt.”
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No fear, Daughter Zion: See how your king comes, riding a donkey's colt.
16 His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him.
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The disciples didn't notice the fulfillment of many Scriptures at the time, but after Jesus was glorified, they remembered that what was written about him matched what was done to him.
17 Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it.
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The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, was there giving eyewitness accounts.
18 That was the reason so many went out to meet him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign.
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It was because they had spread the word of this latest God-sign that the crowd swelled to a welcoming parade.
19 Then the Pharisees said to each other, “There’s nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after him!”
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The Pharisees took one look and threw up their hands: "It's out of control. The world's in a stampede after him." A Grain of Wheat Must Die
20 Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration
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There were some Greeks in town who had come up to worship at the Feast.
21 paid a visit to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, “Sir, we want to meet Jesus.”
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They approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee: "Sir, we want to see Jesus. Can you help us?"
22 Philip told Andrew about it, and they went together to ask Jesus.
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Philip went and told Andrew. Andrew and Philip together told Jesus.
23 Jesus replied, “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory.
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Jesus answered, "Time's up. The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.
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"Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over.
25 Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.
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In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you'll have it forever, real and eternal.
26 Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.
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"If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you'll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment's notice. The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me.
27 “Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came!
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"Right now I am storm-tossed. And what am I going to say? 'Father, get me out of this'? No, this is why I came in the first place.
28 Father, bring glory to your name.” Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.”
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I'll say, 'Father, put your glory on display.'" A voice came out of the sky: "I have glorified it, and I'll glorify it again."
29 When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him.
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The listening crowd said, "Thunder!" Others said, "An angel spoke to him!"
30 Then Jesus told them, “The voice was for your benefit, not mine.
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Jesus said, "The voice didn't come for me but for you.
31 The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out.
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At this moment the world is in crisis. Now Satan, the ruler of this world, will be thrown out.
32 And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.”
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And I, as I am lifted up from the earth, will attract everyone to me and gather them around me."
33 He said this to indicate how he was going to die.
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He put it this way to show how he was going to be put to death.
34 The crowd responded, “We understood from Scripture that the Messiah would live forever. How can you say the Son of Man will die? Just who is this Son of Man, anyway?”
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Voices from the crowd answered, "We heard from God's Law that the Messiah lasts forever. How can it be necessary, as you put it, that the Son of Man 'be lifted up'? Who is this 'Son of Man'?"
35 Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going.
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Jesus said, "For a brief time still, the light is among you. Walk by the light you have so darkness doesn't destroy you. If you walk in darkness, you don't know where you're going.
36 Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.” After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.
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As you have the light, believe in the light. Then the light will be within you, and shining through your lives. You'll be children of light."
37 But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in him.
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All these God-signs he had given them and they still didn't get it, still wouldn't trust him.
38 This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted: “ LORD, who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm?”
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This proved that the prophet Isaiah was right: God, who believed what we preached? Who recognized God's arm, outstretched and ready to act?
39 But the people couldn’t believe, for as Isaiah also said,
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First they wouldn't believe, then they couldn't - again, just as Isaiah said:
40 “The Lord has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts— so that their eyes cannot see, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and have me heal them.”
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Their eyes are blinded, their hearts are hardened, So that they wouldn't see with their eyes and perceive with their hearts, And turn to me, God, so I could heal them.
41 Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he said this, because he saw the future and spoke of the Messiah’s glory.
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Isaiah said these things after he got a glimpse of God's cascading brightness that would pour through the Messiah.
42 Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue.
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On the other hand, a considerable number from the ranks of the leaders did believe. But because of the Pharisees, they didn't come out in the open with it. They were afraid of getting kicked out of the meeting place.
43 For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.
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When push came to shove they cared more for human approval than for God's glory.
44 Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me.
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Jesus summed it all up when he cried out, "Whoever believes in me, believes not just in me but in the One who sent me.
45 For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me.
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Whoever looks at me is looking, in fact, at the One who sent me.
46 I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.
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I am Light that has come into the world so that all who believe in me won't have to stay any longer in the dark.
47 I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it.
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"If anyone hears what I am saying and doesn't take it seriously, I don't reject him. I didn't come to reject the world;
48 But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken.
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I came to save the world. But you need to know that whoever puts me off, refusing to take in what I'm saying, is willfully choosing rejection. The Word, the Word-made-flesh that I have spoken and that I am, that Word and no other is the last word.
49 I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it.
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I'm not making any of this up on my own. The Father who sent me gave me orders, told me what to say and how to say it.
50 And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.”
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And I know exactly what his command produces: real and eternal life. That's all I have to say. What the Father told me, I tell you."
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.