ULazaro waseBhetaniya
UJesu ulinda izinsuku ezimbili, afike esephuze izinsuku ezine, akhale ethuneni lomngane wakhe. Utshela uMarta ukuthi yena uluvuko nokuphila, abonge uBaba wakhe ngezwi eliphezulu ngokumuzwa, abize uLazaro ukuba aphume. Kulapho umkhandlu unquma ukumbulala.
11 1Kwakukhona umuntu ogama lakhe linguLazaro owayegula, owayevela eBhetaniya, emzini kaMariya noMarta udadewabo. 2UMariya—okwakugula umnewabo uLazaro—nguye owagcoba iNkosi ngamafutha anephunga elimnandi, wesula izinyawo zayo ngezinwele zakhe. 3Ngakho odadewabo bathumela izwi kuye, bethi: “Nkosi, lowo omthandayo uyagula.”
4Ekuzwa lokhu, uJesu wathi: “Lokhu kugula ngeke kuphelele ekufeni, kodwa kungenxa yenkazimulo kaBaba wethu, ukuze iNdodana kaBaba wethu ikhazimuliswe ngakho.”
5UJesu wayebathanda uMarta nodadewabo noLazaro. 6Ngakho kwathi lapho ezwa ukuthi uLazaro uyagula, wahlala ezinye izinsuku ezimbili lapho ayekhona.
7Ngemva kwalokho wathi kubafundi: “Asibuyele eJudiya.”
8Abafundi bathi kuye: “Rabi, amaJuda asanda ukuzama ukukukhanda ngamatshe, manje ubuyela khona na?”
9UJesu waphendula wathi: “Awekho yini amahora ayishumi nambili osukwini? Noma ngubani ohamba emini ngeke akhubeke, ngokuba ubona ukukhanya kwaleli zwe. 10Kodwa uma umuntu ehamba ebusuku, uyakhubeka, ngokuba ukukhanya akukho kuye.” 11Ngemva kwalokho wathi kubo: “Umngane wethu uLazaro ulele, kodwa ngiya ukuyomvusa.”
12Ngakho abafundi bathi kuye: “Nkosi, uma elele, uzosinda.” 13UJesu wayekhuluma ngokufa kwakhe, kodwa bona bacabanga ukuthi ukhuluma ngokulala kobuthongo obejwayelekile.
14Ngakho uJesu wasebatshela ngokusobala: “ULazaro ufile, 15futhi ngiyajabula ngenxa yenu ukuthi ngangingekho lapho, ukuze nikholwe. Kodwa asihambe siye kuye.”
16Ngakho uTomase, obizwa ngokuthi iWele, wathi kwabanye abafundi: “Masihambe nathi, siyokufa naye.”
17Ngakho kwathi uJesu efika, wafica ukuthi uLazaro wayesenezinsuku ezine esethuneni. 18IBhetaniya yayiseduze neJerusalema, cishe amamayela amabili ukuya khona, a a v18 Amastadiya ayishumi nanhlanu ayecishe abe ngamamayela amabili (cishe amakhilomitha amathathu). 19futhi abaningi bamaJuda base befikile kuMarta noMariya ukuba babaduduze ngomnewabo. 20Kwathi uMarta ezwa ukuthi uJesu uyeza, waphuma wayomhlangabeza; kodwa uMariya wasala ehlezi endlini. 21UMarta wathi kuJesu: “Nkosi, ukuba ubukhona lapha, umnewethu ngabe akafanga. 22Kodwa nanamuhla ngiyazi ukuthi noma yini oyicela kuBaba wethu, uzokunika yona.”
23UJesu wathi kuye: “Umnewenu uzovuka futhi.”
24UMarta wathi kuye: “Ngiyazi ukuthi uzovuka ekuvukeni kwabafileyo ngosuku lokugcina.”
25UJesu wathi kuye: “Mina ngiwukuvuka kwabafileyo nokuphila. Lowo okholwa yimi uzophila, nakuba efa, 26futhi wonke umuntu ophilayo nokholwa yimi akasoze afe naphakade. Uyakukholwa lokhu na?”
27Wathi kuye: “Yebo, Nkosi; ngiyakholwa ukuthi wena unguKhristu, iNdodana kaBaba wethu, lowo ozayo ezweni.”
28Esekushilo lokhu, wahamba wabiza udadewabo uMariya ngasese, wathi: “UMfundisi ulapha—uyakubiza.” 29Kwathi uMariya ekuzwa lokho, wasukuma ngokushesha waya kuye. 30UJesu wayengakangeni emzini; wayesesekhona lapho uMarta amhlangabeza khona. 31AmaJuda ayenaye endlini, emduduza, abona uMariya evuka ngokushesha ephuma; amlandela, ecabanga ukuthi uya ethuneni ukuba ayokhala khona. 32UMariya wafika kuJesu, wambona, wawa ezinyaweni zakhe, wathi: “Nkosi, ukuba ubukhona lapha, umnewethu ngabe akafanga.”
33Kwathi uJesu embona ekhala, namaJuda ayefike naye nawo ekhala, wabubula emoyeni, wakhathazeka.
34Wayesethi: “Nimbeke kuphi?” Bathi kuye: “Nkosi, woza ubone.”
35UJesu wakhala izinyembezi.
36Ngakho amaJuda athi: “Bheka indlela amthanda ngayo!” 37Kodwa abanye babo bathi: “Lo muntu owavula amehlo empumputhe, ubengeke yini amvimbele ukuba angafi?”
38Ngakho uJesu, ephinde wathintwa kakhulu ngaphakathi kuye, wafika ethuneni—umhume owawuvalwe ngetshe.
39UJesu wathi: “Susani itshe.” UMarta, udadewabo womufi, wathi kuye: “Nkosi, usenuka manje—usenezinsuku ezine efile.”
40UJesu wathi kuye: “Angikutshelanga yini: uma ukholwa uzobona inkazimulo kaBaba wethu?”
41Ngakho basusa itshe. UJesu waphakamisa amehlo wathi: “Baba, ngiyakubonga ngokuba ungizwile. 42Bengazi ukuthi uhlala ungizwa, kodwa ngikusho lokhu ngenxa yesixuku esimi lapha, ukuze sikholwe ukuthi wena ungithumile.” 43Esekushilo lokhu, wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “Lazaro, phuma!”
44Umufi waphuma, izinyawo nezandla kuboshwe ngemibhaco yelineni, nobuso bakhe bugoqwe ngendwangu. UJesu wathi kubo: “Mthukululeni; nimyeke ahambe.”
UMkhandlu Uyahlangana
45Ngakho abaningi bamaJuda ababefike kuMariya, bebona lokho uJesu akwenzayo, bakholwa kuye. 46Kodwa abanye babo baya kubaFarisi, babatshela lokho uJesu akwenzile. 47Ngakho abapristi abakhulu nabaFarisi babiza umkhandlu, bathi: “Senzani? Ngokuba lo muntu wenza izibonakaliso eziningi. 48Uma simyeka nje, wonke umuntu uzokholwa kuye, amaRoma azofika athathe kokubili indawo yethu nesizwe sethu.”
49Kodwa omunye wabo, uKhayafasi, owayengumpristi omkhulu ngalowo nyaka, wathi kubo: “Anazi lutho nhlobo. 50Aniboni yini ukuthi kungcono kini ukuba umuntu oyedwa afele abantu kunokuba sibhubhe sonke isizwe?” 51Akazange akusho lokhu ngokwakhe; njengompristi omkhulu ngalowo nyaka, waprofetha ukuthi uJesu uzofela isizwe, 52hhayi ngenxa yesizwe kuphela, kodwa futhi ukuze abuthele ndawonye abantwana bakaBaba wethu abahlakazekile. b b v52 UKhayafasi wakhuluma kangcono kunalokho ayekwazi. UJesu wayezokufa hhayi ngenxa yesizwe samaJuda kuphela, kodwa ukuze abuthele wonke umntwana kaBaba wethu ohlakazekile emndenini owodwa. 53Ngakho kusukela ngalolo suku benza amacebo okumbulala. 54Ngakho uJesu akabe esahamba obala phakathi kwamaJuda, kodwa wasuka waya edolobheni elalibizwa ngokuthi i-Efrayimi eduze nehlane, wahlala khona nabafundi bakhe.
55IPhasika lamaJuda laliseduze, abaningi benyukela eJerusalema bevela emaphandleni ngaphambi kwalo ukuba bazihlambulule. 56Ngakho bamfuna uJesu, bebuzana bemi ethempelini, bethi: “Nicabangani? Impela ngeke eze emkhosini na?” 57Abapristi abakhulu nabaFarisi base beyalile ukuthi noma ngubani owazi lapho ekhona, kumele akubike, ukuze bambophe.
