UJohane.
11.
Kwakulendoda eyayithiwa nguLazaro eyayigula. YayingeyaseBhethani, umuzi okwakuhlala khona uMariya lodadewabo uMatha. 
(UMariya lo olomnewabo uLazaro owayephethwe ngumkhuhlane nguye owathela amakha ezinyaweni zeNkosi wazesula ngenwele zakhe.) 
Ngakho odadewabo laba bathumela ilizwi kuJesu bathi, “Nkosi, lowo omthandayo uyagula.” 
UJesu esekuzwile lokhu wathi, “Ukugula lokhu kakuzukucina ngokufa. Kodwa kungokodumo lukaNkulunkulu ukuze iNdodana kaNkulunkulu idunyiswe ngakho.” 
UJesu wayemthanda uMatha lodadewabo kanye loLazaro. 
Kodwa loba esezwile ukuthi uLazaro wayegula wazihlalela khona lapho ayekhona okwezinye insuku ezimbili. 
Wasesithi kubafundi bakhe, “Kasibuyeleni eJudiya.” 
Bathi, “Oh, Rabi, muvana nje amaJuda ake azama ukukukhanda ngamatshe kodwa wena usubuyela khona futhi?” 
UJesu waphendula wathi, “Kakusikho yini ukuthi kulamahola alitshumi lambili okukhanyisa kwelanga na? Umuntu ohamba emini kayikukhubeka ngoba ebona ngokukhanya kwalapha emhlabeni. 
Ukhubeka nxa ehamba ebusuku ngoba kalakho ukukhanya.” 
Esekutshilo lokhu wasebatshela wathi, “Umngane wethu uLazaro uselele kodwa ngiya khonale ukuyamvusa.” 
Abafundi bakhe baphendula bathi, “Nkosi, nxa kuvuma ukuthi alale, uzabangcono.” 
UJesu wayekhuluma ngokufa kwakhe kodwa abafundi bakhe babesithi kumbe utsho ukulala okujayelekileyo. 
Wasebatshela ephumela egcekeni wathi, “ULazaro usefile, 
kodwa ukuze lina likholwe, ngiyathaba ukuthi bengingekho lapho. Kodwa kasiyeni khona.” 
UThomasi (othiwa nguDidimasi) wathi kwabanye abafundi, “Lathi kasihambeni ukuze siyekufa laye.” 
Ekufikeni kwakhe uJesu uLazaro wayesehlale ethuneni okwensuku ezine. 
EBhethani kwakungaphansi kwamakhilomitha amathathu usuka eJerusalema, 
yikho amaJuda amanengi ayebuyile ukuzakhalela uMatha loMariya ngokulahlekelwa kwabo ngumnewabo. 
Kwathi uMatha esizwa ukuthi uJesu wayesiza, waphuma wamhlangabeza kodwa uMariya wasala ngekhaya. 
UMatha wathi kuJesu, “Nkosi, aluba ubukhonapha ngabe umnewethu kafanga. 
Kodwa ngiyazi ukuthi lamanje uNkulunkulu uzakunika loba yini oyicelayo.” 
UJesu wathi kuye, “Umfowenu uzavuka njalo.” 
UMatha waphendula wathi, “Ngiyazi ukuthi uzavuka futhi ekuvukeni kwabafileyo ngosuku lokucina.” 
UJesu wathi kuye, “Mina ngiyikuvuka kwabafileyo lokuphila. Lowo okholwa kimi uzaphila loba engafa; 
njalo lowo ophilayo ekholwa kimi kasoze afa lanini. Uyakukholwa lokhu na?” 
Waphendula wathi, “Yebo Nkosi, ngiyakholwa ukuthi unguye uKhristu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, ozabuya emhlabeni.” 
Esekutshilo lokho wabuyela ngekhaya wabizela udadewabo uMariya eceleni wathi, “UMfundisi usekhona, uyakucela.” 
UMariya wathi ekuzwa lokhu wasuka masinyane waya kuJesu. 
UJesu wayelokhu engakangeni phakathi komuzi elokhu elapho ayehlangane khona loMatha. 
Kwathi amaJuda ayeloMariya endlini emduduza esebonile ukuthi wasukuma masinyane njani ephuma, amlandela ecabanga ukuthi mhlawumbe wayesiya ethuneni ukuyakhalela khona. 
UMariya wonela ukufika lapho uJesu ayekhona, wambona, wazilahla phansi ezinyaweni zakhe wathi, “Nkosi, kube ubukhona lapha, umnewethu ngabe kafanga.” 
UJesu embona ekhala kanye lamaJuda ayemlandele wadabuka kakhulu emoyeni, wakhathazeka. 
Wabuza wathi, “Limbeke ngaphi na?” Baphendula bathi, “Woza uzobona Nkosi.” 
UJesu wakhala. 
AmaJuda asesithi, “Liyabona ukuthi wayemthanda njani!” 
Kodwa amanye awo athi, “Kanti yena lo owavula amehlo endoda eyayiyisiphofu wehlulekile ukwenza ukuthi umuntu lo angafi na?” 
UJesu waphinda njalo wadabuka, wasondela ethuneni. Ithuna lalilubhalu, kulelitshe elalivale intuba. 
Wathi, “Lisuseni ilitshe.” UMatha, udadewabo wendoda efileyo wathi, “Nkosi, khathesi sekulephunga elibi ngoba selensuku ezine simbekile.” 
UJesu wasesithi, “Kangikutshelanga ukuthi nxa ukholwa uzabona inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu na?” 
Ngakho balisusa ilitshe. UJesu wasekhangela phezulu wathi, “Baba ngiyakubonga ukuthi ungizwile. 
Mina bengisazi ukuthi uhlala ungizwa, kodwa ngikutshela lokhu ngisenzela abantu abemi lapha ukuze bakholwe ukuthi ungithumile.” 
Esekutshilo lokhu uJesu wamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu wathi, “Lazaro, phuma!” 
Umuyi waphuma, izandla lenyawo zakhe zithandelwe ngamaqhele elineni, kulelinye ilembu elalembese ubuso bakhe. UJesu wathi kubo, “Khuphani izivunulo zokungcwaba limyekele ahambe.” 
Ngakho amaJuda amanengi ayeze ukuzakhalela uMariya esekubonile uJesu akwenzayo, amkholwa. 
Kodwa amanye aya kubaFarisi bayabatshela lokho okwakwenziwe nguJesu. 
Abaphristi abakhulu labaFarisi basebebiza umhlangano weSanihedrini. Babuzana bathi, “Kanti sivele senzani? Nangu phela umuntu lo esenza imimangaliso eminengi. 
Singamyekela aqhubeke ngalindlela, wonke umuntu uzakholwa kuye njalo amaRoma azakuza athathe indawo yethu lesizwe sethu.” 
Kwasekusithi omunye wabo owayethiwa nguKhayifasi, owayengumphristi omkhulu ngalowomnyaka, wakhuluma wathi, “Kalazi lutho! 
Kalikuboni lina ukuthi kungcono ukuba umuntu oyedwa afele abantu kulokuthi kubhubhe isizwe sonke.” 
Lokhu kazikhulumelanga yena ngokwakhe, kodwa njengomphristi omkhulu kwabanye ngalowomnyaka waphrofitha ukuthi uJesu wayezafela isizwe samaJuda, 
kungasisizwe leso sodwa, kodwa labantwana bakaNkulunkulu abahlakazekileyo ukuze balethwe ndawonye, benziwe babemunye. 
Kusukela ngalesosikhathi bakha amacebo okumbulala. 
Ngakho uJesu wayengasahambahambi obala phakathi kwamaJuda. Wasuka lapho waya emangweni owawuseduze kwenkangala, emzini owawuthiwa yi-Efrayimu, lapho ahlala khona labafundi bakhe. 
Kwathi sekuzakuba yisikhathi sePhasika lamaJuda, abanengi baqubuka elizweni baya eJerusalema ukuyahlanjululwa ngokomkhuba kungakabi yiPhasika. 
Babelokhu bethalaza befuna uJesu, kwathi bemi egumeni lethempeli babuzana bathi, “Licabangani? Ukuthi angaphutha yini emkhosini?” 
Kodwa abaphristi abakhulu labaFarisi basebelayele ukuthi nxa ekhona owayekwazi ukuthi uJesu wayengaphi, ahle abike ukuze bambophe. 
