NgokukaJohane 11:1-57
11 Manje umuntu othile okuthiwa uLazaru wayegula; wayengowaseBhethaniya, endaweni yakubo kaMariya noMarta + udadewabo.
2 Lona kwakunguMariya owagcoba iNkosi ngamafutha anamakha wasula nezinyawo zayo ngezinwele zakhe; + kwakungumfowabo uLazaru owayegula.
3 Ngakho odadewabo bathumela umyalezo kuye, bathi: “Nkosi, bheka! lowo omthandayo uyagula.”
4 Kodwa lapho uJesu ekuzwa lokhu wathi: “Injongo yalokhu kugula ayikhona ukufa, kodwa iwukuba kukhazinyuliswe uNkulunkulu, + ukuze iNdodana kaNkulunkulu ikhazinyuliswe ngakho.”
5 Manje uJesu wayemthanda uMarta nodadewabo noLazaru.
6 Nokho, lapho ezwa ukuthi uLazaru uyagula, waqhubeka ehleli endaweni ayekuyo ezinye izinsuku ezimbili.
7 Ngemva kwalokhu wathi kubafundi bakhe: “Masiphinde siye eJudiya.”
8 Abafundi bathi kuye: “Rabi, + muva nje abaseJudiya bebefuna ukukukhanda ngamatshe, + kodwa uya khona futhi?”
9 UJesu waphendula: “Imini inamahora angu-12, akunjalo? + Uma umuntu ehamba emini ayikho into emkhubayo, ngoba ubona ukukhanya kwaleli zwe.
10 Kodwa uma umuntu ehamba ebusuku, uyakhubeka, ngoba ukukhanya akukho kuye.”
11 Ngemva kokusho lezi zinto, wathi kubo: “ULazaru umngane wethu ulele, + kodwa ngiya khona ukuze ngimvuse.”
12 Abafundi bathi kuye: “Nkosi, uma elele, uzolulama.”
13 Nokho, uJesu wayekhuluma ngokufa kwakhe. Kodwa bona bacabanga ukuthi wayekhuluma ngokulala ngoba ephumule.
14 UJesu wabe esethi kubo ngokucacile: “ULazaru ufile, +
15 futhi ngiyajabula ngokuthi bengingekho, ngoba lokhu engizokwenza kuzoqinisa ukholo lwenu. Masiye kuye.”
16 Ngakho uTomase, owayebizwa ngokuthi iWele, wathi kwabanye abafundi: “Masihambe nathi, ukuze sife kanye naye.” +
17 Lapho uJesu efika, wathola ukuthi uLazaru wayesenezinsuku ezine esethuneni.
18 IBhethaniya laliseduze neJerusalema, liqhele cishe ngamakhilomitha amathathu.*
19 Abaningi kumaJuda babezile kuMarta noMariya ukuze babaduduze ngomfowabo.
20 Lapho uMarta ezwa ukuthi uJesu uyeza, wahamba wayomhlangabeza; kodwa uMariya + wayelokhu ehlezi ekhaya.
21 UMarta wathi kuJesu: “Nkosi, ukube ubulapha umfowethu ngabe akafanga.
22 Kodwa ngisho namanje ngiyazi ukuthi noma yini oyicelayo kuNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu uyokunika yona.”
23 UJesu wathi kuye: “Umfowenu uzovuka.”
24 UMarta wathi kuye: “Ngiyazi ukuthi uyovuka ovukweni + ngosuku lokugcina.”
25 UJesu wathi kuye: “Mina ngingukuvuka nokuphila. + Lowo obonisa ukholo kimi, ngisho noma efa, uyophila;
26 futhi wonke umuntu ophilayo obonisa ukholo kimi akasoze afa. + Uyakukholelwa lokhu?”
27 Wathi kuye: “Yebo Nkosi, ngiyakholwa ukuthi wena unguKristu iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, lowo ozayo ezweni.”
28 Lapho esesho lokhu, wahamba wayobiza uMariya udadewabo, ethi ngasese: “UMfundisi + ukhona futhi uyakubiza.”
29 Lapho ezwa lokhu, wasukuma masinyane waya kuye.
30 UJesu wayengakafiki emzini, kodwa wayesesendaweni uMarta ayemhlangabeze kuyo.
31 Lapho amaJuda ayenoMariya endlini, emduduza, embona esukuma masinyane ephuma, amlandela, ecabanga ukuthi uya ethuneni + uyokhalela khona.
32 Ngesikhathi uMariya efika lapho uJesu ayekhona futhi embona, wawela ezinyaweni zakhe, wathi kuye: “Nkosi, ukube ubulapha umfowethu ngabe akafanga.”
33 Lapho uJesu embona ekhala namaJuda ayeze naye ekhala, waquma ngaphakathi kuye* futhi wakhathazeka.
34 Wathi: “Nimbekephi?” Bathi kuye: “Nkosi, woza uzobona.”
35 UJesu wakhala izinyembezi. +
36 Ebona lokhu amaJuda athi: “Bhekani ukuthi ubemthanda kangakanani!”
37 Kodwa amanye kuwo athi: “Lo muntu owavula amehlo empumputhe + ubengeke yini akwazi ukuvimbela lona ukuba angafi?”
38 Ngakho uJesu, ngemva kokuba ephinde waquma ngaphakathi kuye, wafika ethuneni. Eqinisweni, lalingumhume, futhi kwakuncike itshe kulo.
39 UJesu wathi: “Susani itshe.” UMarta, udadewabo woshonile, wathi kuye: “Nkosi, kumelwe ukuba manje useyanuka, ngoba sekuyizinsuku ezine.”
40 UJesu wathi kuye: “Angikutshelanga yini ukuthi uma ungase ukholwe, uzobona inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu?” +
41 Ngakho balisusa itshe. UJesu waphakamisela amehlo akhe ezulwini + wathi: “Baba, ngiyakubonga ngoba ungizwile.
42 Yiqiniso, bengazi ukuthi uyangizwa ngaso sonke isikhathi; kodwa ngikhulume ngenxa yalesi sixuku esimi lapha, ukuze sikholwe ukuthi wena ungithumile.” +
43 Lapho esezishilo lezi zinto, wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu wathi: “Lazaru, phuma!” +
44 Lo muntu owayefile waphuma izinyawo nezandla zakhe ziboshwe ngokokusonga, ubuso bakhe busongwe ngendwangu. UJesu wathi kubo: “Mqaqeni nimyeke ahambe.”
45 Amaningi kumaJuda ayeze kuMariya futhi ayebone lokho ayekwenzile, aba nokholo kuye, +
46 kodwa amanye kuwo aya kubaFarisi abatshela ngalokho uJesu ayekwenzile.
47 Ngakho abapristi abakhulu nabaFarisi baqoqela ndawonye iSanhedrini futhi bathi: “Sizokwenzenjani, ngoba lo muntu wenza izibonakaliso eziningi? +
48 Uma simyeka aqhubeke enza ngale ndlela, bonke bazokholwa nguye, amaRoma azofika athathe indawo* yethu nesizwe sethu.”
49 Kodwa omunye wabo, uKayafase, + owayengumpristi ophakeme ngalowo nyaka, wathi kubo: “Nina anazi lutho,
50 futhi anicabangi ukuthi kuzuzisa nina ukuba umuntu oyedwa afe ngenxa yabantu, kunokuba kubhujiswe sonke isizwe.”
51 Nokho, lokhu akakushongo ngokuzisukela kuye, kodwa ngoba wayengumpristi ophakeme ngalowo nyaka, waprofetha ukuthi uJesu wayezofela isizwe,
52 kungesona isizwe kuphela, kodwa ukuze abantwana bakaNkulunkulu abahlakazekile nabo abaqoqele ndawonye babe munye.
53 Ngakho kusukela ngalolo suku kuqhubeke, bamakhela uzungu ukuze bambulale.
54 Ngenxa yalokho uJesu akabange esahamba obala phakathi kwamaJuda, kodwa wasuka lapho waya esifundeni esiseduze kwehlane, edolobheni elibizwa ngokuthi i-Efrayimi, + wahlala khona nabafundi.
55 IPhasika + lamaJuda lase lisondele, abantu abaningi abaphuma emaphandleni baya eJerusalema ngaphambi kwePhasika ukuze bazihlanze ngokwesiko.
56 Babefuna uJesu futhi bethi omunye komunye njengoba bemi ethempelini: “Nicabangani? Ingabe ngeke nhlobo eze emkhosini?”
57 Kodwa abapristi abakhulu nabaFarisi babekhiphe umyalo wokuthi uma noma ubani azi lapho uJesu ekhona, kufanele asho, ukuze bambambe.*
Imibhalo yaphansi
^ NgesiGreki, “ngebanga elingangezinkundla zemidlalo ezingaba ngu-15.” Bheka iSithasiselo B14.
^ NgesiGreki, “waquma emoyeni.”
^ Okuwukuthi, ithempeli.
^ Noma, “bambophe.”
