UJohane 11:1-57
11 Kwakulendoda eyayigula okwakuthiwa nguLazaro. Yayihlala eBhethani, isigaba okwakuvela kuso uMariya lodadewabo uMatha.
2 UMariya lo nguye owayethele amafutha anukelelayo enyaweni zeNkosi, wesula inyawo ngenwele zakhe zaze zoma. Lo owayegula kwakungumfowabo uLazaro.
3 Ngakho odadewabo bakaLazaro bamthumela umbiko besithi: “Nkosi, lowo omthanda kakhulu uyagula!”
4 Kodwa uJesu uthe 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 Wezwa ukuthi uLazaro uyagula, kodwa waqhubeka okwamalanga amabili elokhu esendaweni ayekuyo.
7 Ngemva kwalokhu wathi kubafundi bakhe: “Kasibuyeleni eJudiya.”
8 Abafundi bathi kuye: “Rabi, kakukabi lesikhathi eside abantu baseJudiya bezame ukukukhanda ngamatshe. Manje ubusubuyela khona futhi?”
9 UJesu waphendula wathi: “Ilanga likhanyisa okwamahola angu-12 angithi? Nxa umuntu ehamba emini, akulanto ezamkhuba ngoba uyabe ebona ukukhanya komhlaba lo.
10 Kodwa nxa umuntu ehamba ebusuku, uyakhubeka ngoba ukukhanya kakukho 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 Kodwa uJesu wayekhuluma ngokufa kwakhe. Lanxa kunjalo, bona bacabanga ukuthi ukhuluma ngokuthi wayelele ephumula.
14 UJesu wasekubeka kwacaca wathi kubo: “ULazaro usefile,
15 futhi kuyangithokozisa ukuthi bengingekho ngoba engizakwenza kuzalinceda ukuthi likholwe. Kodwa kasiyeni kuye.”
16 Ngakho uTomasi owayebizwa langokuthi liPhahla wathi kwabanye abafundi: “Kasihambeni 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 kuMatha loMariya ezobaduduza ngomfowabo.
20 UMatha wathi esezwe ukuthi uJesu uyeza wahamba wayamhlangabeza kodwa uMariya wasala ehlezi ngekhaya.
21 UMatha wasesithi kuJesu: “Nkosi, aluba ubukhona ngabe umfowethu kafanga.
22 Kodwa lakhathesi ngiyakwazi ukuthi loba kuyini okucela kuNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu uzakupha.”
23 UJesu wathi kuye: “Umfowenu uzavuka.”
24 UMatha wathi kuye: “Ngiyakwazi ukuthi uzavuka nxa sekuvuswa abafileyo ngelanga lokucina.”
25 UJesu wathi kuye: “Ngiyikuvuka kwabafileyo lokuphila. Lowo otshengisa ukuthi ulokholo kimi, lanxa engafa, uzaphila.
26 Wonke umuntu ophilayo otshengisa ukuthi ulokholo kimi kasoze afe loba sekutheni. Wena uyakukholwa yini lokhu?”
27 Wamphendula wathi: “Yebo Nkosi, ngiyakholwa ukuthi unguKhristu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu okwakutshiwo ukuthi izabuya emhlabeni.”
28 Esekutshilo lokhu wasuka wayabiza udadewabo uMariya wamnyenyezela wathi: “UMfundisi ukhona, uyakubiza.”
29 Ekuzwa lokhu wahle wathi lothu waya kuye.
30 UJesu wayengakafiki esigabeni, wayelokhu elapho uMatha ayemhlangabeze khona.
31 Kwathi amaJuda ayeduduza uMariya endlini embona esukuma masinyane esiya phandle, amlandela ecabanga ukuthi wayesiyakhalela ethuneni.
32 UMariya uthe efika lapho uJesu ayekhona futhi embona, wazilahla 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 athe ekubona lokhu athi: “Liyabona ukuthi ubemthanda njani!”
37 Kodwa abanye babo bathi: “Kanti indoda le eyavula amehlo endoda eyayiyisiphofu ibingehluleka yini ukwenza ukuthi umuntu lo angafi?”
38 UJesu waphinda wadabuka kakhulu emoyeni wakhe, waya ethuneni. Ithuna leli lalilubhalu njalo lalivalwe ngelitshe.
39 UJesu wathi: “Susani ilitshe.” UMatha udadewabo kamufi wathi kuye: “Nkosi, khathesi kumele ukuthi usenuka ngoba sekungamalanga amane.”
40 UJesu wathi kuye: “Angikutshelanga yini ukuthi nxa ukholwa uzabona inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu?”
41 Basebelisusa ilitshe. UJesu waphakamisa amehlo akhe wakhangela ezulwini wathi: “Baba, ngiyabonga ukuthi ungizwile.
42 Bengikwazi sibili ukuthi uhlala ungizwa. Kodwa ngikhulume ngenxa yexuku elimi lapha ukuze likholwe ukuthi ungithumile.”
43 Esekutshilo lokhu wamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu wathi: “Lazaro, phuma!”
44 Indoda le eyayifile yaphuma ithandelwe ngamaqhele enyaweni lasezandleni zayo, lobuso bayo buthandelwe ngelembu. UJesu wathi kubo: “Mthukululeni limyekele ahambe.”
45 Ngakho-ke amaJuda amanengi ayelande uMariya njalo ayebone okwakwenziwe nguJesu akholwa kuye,
46 kodwa amanye awo 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 futhi owayengumphristi omkhulu ngalowomnyaka wathi kubo: “Kalazi lutho lina,
50 njalo kalizange licabangisise ngokuthi kunceda lina ukuthi indoda eyodwa ifele abantu kulokuthi isizwe sonke sibhujiswe.”
51 Lokhu akutshoyo kwakungaveli ekhanda lakhe kodwa njengoba wayengumphristi omkhulu ngalowomnyaka, waphrofetha 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 Yikho-ke 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 bazihlambulule ngokoMthetho kaMosi.
56 Babedinga uJesu, futhi ngesikhathi bemi ethempelini babelokhu bebuzana besithi: “Libona njani? Kambe uzabuya emkhosini?”
57 Kodwa abaphristi abakhokhelayo labaFarisi babetshele abantu ukuthi loba ngubani ozakwazi ukuthi uJesu ungaphi kumele ayebika ukuze bambambe.*
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiGrikhi, “kungamastadiya angaba ngu-15.” Istadiya yayingamamitha angu-185.
^ Lapha kutshiwo ithempeli.
^ Kumbe, “bambophe.”
