IVangeli Elabhalwa NguJohane
11 Kwakulendoda eyayigula okwakuthiwa nguLazaro. Yayihlala eBhethani, isigaba okwakuvela kuso uMariya lodadewabo uMatha.+ 2 UMariya nguye owayethele amafutha anukelelayo enyaweni zeNkosi, wazesula ngenwele+ zakhe zaze zoma. Lo owayegula kwakungumfowabo uLazaro. 3 Ngakho odadewabo bakaLazaro bathumela umbiko kuJesu besithi: “Nkosi, lowo omthanda kakhulu uyagula!” 4 Kodwa uJesu wathi ekuzwa lokhu wathi: “Ukugula lokhu akusoze kuphethe ngokufa kodwa kuzakwenza ukuthi uNkulunkulu akhazinyuliswe+ ukuze iNdodana kaNkulunkulu ikhazinyuliswe ngakho.”
5 UJesu wayemthanda uMatha lodadewabo kanye loLazaro. 6 Lanxa wezwa ukuthi uLazaro uyagula, waqhubeka esendaweni ayekuyo okwamalanga amabili. 7 Ngemva kwalokhu wathi kubafundi bakhe: “Asibuyeleni eJudiya.” 8 Abafundi bathi kuye: “Rabi,+ akukabi lesikhathi eside abantu beJudiya bezame ukukukhanda ngamatshe.+ Manje usufuna ukubuyela khona futhi?” 9 UJesu waphendula wathi: “Angithi ilanga likhanyisa okwamahora angu-12?+ Nxa umuntu ehamba emini, akulanto ezamkhuba ngoba uyabe ebona ukukhanya komhlaba lo. 10 Kodwa nxa umuntu ehamba ebusuku, uyakhubeka ngoba ukukhanya akukho kuye.”
11 Esekhulume konke lokhu waphinda wathi: “Umngane wethu uLazaro uselele+ kodwa ngiya khona ukuze ngiyemvusa.” 12 Abafundi basebesithi kuye: “Nkosi nxa elele kutsho ukuthi uzasila.” 13 Babecabanga ukuthi ukhuluma ngokuthi wayelele ephumula kodwa uJesu wayekhuluma ngokufa kwakhe. 14 Yikho wakubeka kwacaca wathi kubo: “ULazaro usefile+ 15 futhi kuyangithokozisa ukuthi bengingekho ngoba engizakwenza kuzalinceda ukuthi likholwe. Asiyeni kuye.” 16 UTomasi owayebizwa langokuthi liphahla wathi kwabanye abafundi: “Asihambeni lathi ukuze siyekufa laye.”+
17 UJesu wathi efika wathola ukuthi kwasekulamalanga amane uLazaro esethuneni. 18 IBhethani yayiseduze leJerusalema, kungamakhilomitha angaba mathathu* ukuya khona, 19 njalo amaJuda amanengi ayebuyile ukuzoduduza uMatha loMariya ngomfowabo. 20 UMatha wezwa ukuthi uJesu uyeza wasehamba wayamhlangabeza kodwa uMariya+ wasala ngekhaya. 21 UMatha wathi kuJesu: “Nkosi, aluba ubukhona ngabe umfowethu kafanga. 22 Kodwa ngiyakwazi ukuthi loba kuyini okucela kuNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu uzakupha.” 23 UJesu wathi kuye: “Umfowenu uzavuka.” 24 UMatha wasesithi: “Ngiyakwazi ukuthi uzavuka nxa sekuvuswa abafileyo+ ngelanga lokucina.” 25 UJesu wathi: “Ngiyikuvuka kwabafileyo lokuphila.+ Lowo otshengisa ukuthi ulokholo kimi uzaphila lanxa angaze afe. 26 Wonke umuntu ophilayo otshengisa ukuthi ulokholo kimi kasoze afe loba sekutheni.+ Wena uyakukholwa yini lokhu?” 27 Wamphendula wathi: “Ye Nkosi, ngiyakholwa ukuthi unguKhristu iNdodana kaNkulunkulu okwatshiwo ukuthi izabuya emhlabeni.” 28 Esetsho njalo wasuka wayabiza udadewabo uMariya wamnyenyezela wathi: “UMfundisi+ usekhona, uyakubiza.” 29 UMariya wathi esizwa lokhu wahle wathi lothu waya kuye.
30 UJesu wayengakafiki esigabeni, wayelokhu elapho uMatha ayemhlangabeze khona. 31 AmaJuda ayeduduza uMariya endlini ambona esukuma masinyane esiya phandle, asemlandela ecabanga ukuthi wayesiyakhalela ethuneni.+ 32 UMariya uthe efika lapho uJesu ayekhona futhi embona, wazilahla phansi enyaweni zakhe wathi kuye: “Nkosi, aluba ubulapha ngabe umfowethu kafanga.” 33 UJesu wathi embona ekhala, lamaJuda ayebuye laye ekhala, wadabuka kakhulu emoyeni wakhe njalo wakhathazeka. 34 Wasesithi: “Limbeke ngaphi?” Bathi kuye: “Nkosi buya uzobona.” 35 UJesu wakhala.+ 36 AmaJuda athi ekubona lokhu athi: “Liyabona ukuthi ubemthanda njani!” 37 Kodwa abanye babo bathi: “Kanti indoda le eyavula amehlo esiphofu+ ibingehluleka yini ukwenza ukuthi umuntu lo angafi?”
38 UJesu waphinda wadabuka kakhulu emoyeni wakhe, waya ethuneni. Ithuna lelo lalilubhalu njalo lalivalwe ngelitshe. 39 UJesu wathi: “Susani ilitshe.” UMatha udadewabo kamufi wathi kuye: “Nkosi, khathesi kumele ukuthi usenuka ngoba sekungamalanga amane.” 40 UJesu wasesithi: “Angikutshelanga yini ukuthi nxa ukholwa uzabona inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu?”+ 41 Basebelisusa ilitshe, uJesu wakhangela ezulwini+ wathi: “Baba, ngiyabonga ukuthi ungizwile. 42 Bengikwazi sibili ukuthi uhlala ungizwa. Kodwa ngikhulume ngenxa yabantu abalapha ukuze bakholwe ukuthi ungithumile.”+ 43 Esekutshilo lokhu wamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu wathi: “Lazaro, phuma!”+ 44 Indoda eyayifile yaphuma ithandelwe ngamaqhele enyaweni lasezandleni, lobuso bayo buthandelwe ngelembu. UJesu wasesithi kubo: “Mthukululeni limyekele ahambe.”
45 Ngakho amaJuda amanengi ayelande uMariya njalo ayebone okwakwenziwe nguJesu akholwa kuye,+ 46 kodwa amanye aya kubaFarisi abatshela lokho uJesu ayekwenzile. 47 Abaphristi abakhokhelayo labaFarisi basebebuthanisa iSanihedrini bathi: “Manje senzeni njengoba indoda le isenza izimangaliso ezinengi kangaka?+ 48 Nxa singayiyekela isenzenje bonke bazakholwa kuyo, amaRoma abesebuya athathe indawo yethu* lesizwe sethu.” 49 Kodwa omunye wabo okwakuthiwa nguKhayifasi+ owayengumphristi omkhulu ngalowomnyaka wathi kubo: “Kalazi lutho lina 50 njalo alizange licabangisise ngokuthi kunceda lina ukuthi indoda eyodwa ifele abantu kulokuthi isizwe sonke sibhujiswe.” 51 Lokhu akutshoyo kwakungaveli ekhanda lakhe kodwa njengoba wayengumphristi omkhulu ngalowomnyaka, wayephrofetha ukuthi uJesu wayezafela isizwe. 52 Lanxa kunjalo, wayengasoze afele isizwe kuphela kodwa wayezabuthanisa abantwana bakaNkulunkulu ababesabalele, abenze babe munye. 53 Ngakho kusukela ngalelolanga babumba icebo lokumbulala.
54 Ngenxa yalokho uJesu wayengasahambeli ebantwini nxa wayephakathi kwamaJuda. Wasuka lapho waya endaweni eyayiseduze lenkangala, edolobheni elalibizwa ngokuthi yi-Efrayimi,+ wasehlala khona labafundi bakhe. 55 IPhasika+ lamaJuda laseliseduze. Abantu abanengi ababesemaphandleni baya eJerusalema iPhasika lingakafiki ukuze bayezihlambulula ngokoMthetho kaMosi. 56 Babedinga uJesu, futhi ngesikhathi bemi ethempelini babelokhu bebuzana besithi: “Libona njani? Kambe ukuthi uzabuya emkhosini?” 57 Kodwa abaphristi abakhokhelayo labaFarisi babetshele abantu ukuthi loba ngubani ozakwazi ukuthi uJesu ungaphi kumele ayebika ukuze bambambe.*