John 11 Berean Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 At this time a man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus from Bethany, of the village of Mary and her sister, Martha.
2 (Mary, whose brother Lazarus was sick, was to anoint the Lord with perfume and wipe His feet with her hair.)
2 It was that Mary who had anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.
3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one You love is sick.”
3 The sisters therefore sent to him, saying, “Lord, behold, he for whom you have great affection is sick.”
4 When Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, that God’s Son may be glorified by it.”
5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
6 So on hearing that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two days,
6 When therefore he heard that he was sick, he stayed two days in the place where he was.
7 and then He said to the disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let’s go into Judea again.”
8 “Rabbi,” they replied, “the Jews just tried to stone You, and You are going back there?”
8 The disciples asked him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you. Are you going there again?”
9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? If anyone walks in the daytime, he will not stumble, because he sees by the light of this world.
9 Jesus answered, “Aren’t there twelve hours of daylight? If a man walks in the day, he doesn’t stumble, because he sees the light of this world.
10 But if anyone walks at night, he will stumble, because he has no light.”
10 But if a man walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light isn’t in him.”
11 After He had said this, He told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up.”
11 He said these things, and after that, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going so that I may awake him out of sleep.”
12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get better.”
12 The disciples therefore said, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”
13 They thought that Jesus was talking about actual sleep, but He was speaking about the death of Lazarus.
13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he spoke of taking rest in sleep.
14 So Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead,
14 So Jesus said to them plainly then, “Lazarus is dead.
15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
15 I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe. Nevertheless, let’s go to him.”
16 Then Thomas called Didymus said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”
16 Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s also go, that we may die with him.”
17 When Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had already spent four days in the tomb.
17 So when Jesus came, he found that he had been in the tomb four days already.
18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, a little less than two miles away,
18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away.
19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them in the loss of their brother.
19 Many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.
20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet Him; but Mary stayed at home.
20 Then when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary stayed in the house.
21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
21 Therefore Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.
22 But even now I know that God will give You whatever You ask of Him.”
22 Even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.”
23 “Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her.
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha replied, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies.
26 And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
26 Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she answered, “I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, God’s Son, he who comes into the world.”
28 After Martha had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside to tell her, “The Teacher is here and is asking for you.”
28 When she had said this, she went away and called Mary, her sister, secretly, saying, “The Teacher is here and is calling you.”
29 And when Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to Him.
29 When she heard this, she arose quickly and went to him.
30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met Him.
30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was in the place where Martha met him.
31 When the Jews who were in the house consoling Mary saw how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house and were consoling her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”
32 When Mary came to Jesus and saw Him, she fell at His feet and said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
32 Therefore when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.”
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.
33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit and was troubled,
34 “Where have you put him?” He asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they answered.
34 and said, “Where have you laid him?” They told him, “Lord, come and see.”
35 Jesus wept.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”
36 The Jews therefore said, “See how much affection he had for him!”
37 But some of them asked, “Could not this man who opened the eyes of the blind also have kept Lazarus from dying?”
37 Some of them said, “Couldn’t this man, who opened the eyes of him who was blind, have also kept this man from dying?”
38 Jesus, once again deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.
38 Jesus therefore, again groaning in himself, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it.
39 “Take away the stone,” Jesus said. “Lord, by now he stinks,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man. “It has already been four days.”
39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”
40 Jesus replied, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”
40 Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see God’s glory?”
41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted His eyes upward and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.
41 So they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you listened to me.
42 I knew that You always hear Me, but I say this for the benefit of the people standing here, so they may believe that You sent Me.”
42 I know that you always listen to me, but because of the multitude standing around I said this, that they may believe that you sent me.”
43 After Jesus had said this, He called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
44 The man who had been dead came out with his hands and feet bound in strips of linen, and his face wrapped in a cloth. “Unwrap him and let him go,” Jesus told them.
44 He who was dead came out, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Free him, and let him go.”
45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in Him.
45 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what Jesus did believed in him.
46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.
46 But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done.
47 Then the chief priests and Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs.
47 The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, “What are we doing? For this man does many signs.
48 If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
48 If we leave him alone like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
49 But one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all!
49 But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all,
50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”
50 nor do you consider that it is advantageous for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.”
51 Caiaphas did not say this on his own. Instead, as high priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus would die for the nation,
51 Now he didn’t say this of himself, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,
52 and not only for the nation, but also for the scattered children of God, to gather them together into one.
52 and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.
53 So from that day on they plotted to kill Him.
53 So from that day forward they took counsel that they might put him to death.
54 As a result, Jesus no longer went about publicly among the Jews, but He withdrew to a town called Ephraim in an area near the wilderness. And He stayed there with the disciples.
54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews, but departed from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim. He stayed there with his disciples.
55 Now the Jewish Passover was near, and many people went up from the country to Jerusalem to purify themselves before the Passover.
55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand. Many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.
56 They kept looking for Jesus and asking one another as they stood in the temple courts, “What do you think? Will He come to the feast at all?”
56 Then they sought for Jesus and spoke with one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think—that he isn’t coming to the feast at all?”
57 But the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where He was must report it, so that they could arrest Him.
57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had commanded that if anyone knew where he was, he should report it, that they might seize him.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Lazarus
A man of Bethany, brother of Mary and Martha, whom Jesus loved and raised from the dead and who was later at table with Him.
Cited in the guide: John 11:1; John 11:5; John 12:1
Martha
A woman of Bethany who received Jesus into her home, was distracted with serving, and whose brother Lazarus Jesus raised.
Cited in the guide: Luke 10:38; John 11:1; John 11:5
Mary
Sister of Martha and Lazarus of Bethany, who sat at Jesus' feet to listen and who anointed the Lord's feet with perfume and wiped them with her hair.
Cited in the guide: Luke 10:39; John 11:1; John 11:2
Thomas
One of the Twelve, called Didymus, who said 'Let us also go, so that we may die with Him', was absent when Jesus first appeared, and was among those who fished with the disciples…
Cited in the guide: Matthew 10:3; John 11:16; John 20:24
Places
Bethany
Bethany was Jesus' lodging near Jerusalem during Passion week and the home of Lazarus. Luke sets the Ascension close by.
Cited in the guide: John 11:1; John 12:1; Luke 24:50
Cross references (56)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 John 12:17; Luke 10:38–42; John 12:9; 2 Kings 20:1–12; John 11:11
- 2 John 12:3; Matthew 26:6–7; Mark 14:3; Luke 7:37–38
- 3 John 11:5; Revelation 3:19; Hebrews 12:6–7; John 13:23; Psalm 16:3
- 4 John 11:40; John 9:3; 1 Peter 4:14; John 5:23; John 17:5
- 5 John 15:9–13; John 11:36; John 17:26; John 16:27; John 11:8
- 6 Isaiah 30:18; Isaiah 55:8–9; Genesis 42:24; Genesis 22:14; Genesis 43:29–31
- 7 Acts 20:22–24; Acts 15:36; Luke 9:51; John 10:40–42
- 8 John 10:31; John 8:59; Acts 21:12–13; Matthew 16:21–23; John 10:39
- 9 John 9:4; John 12:35; Jeremiah 31:9; Luke 13:31–33; Proverbs 3:23
- 10 Proverbs 4:18–19; 1 John 2:10–11; Jeremiah 13:16; Jeremiah 20:11; Ecclesiastes 2:14
- 11 Daniel 12:2; John 11:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:10; John 11:43–44; Matthew 27:52
- 13 Matthew 9:24
- 14 John 16:25; John 16:29; John 10:24
- 15 2 Timothy 2:10; John 14:10–11; 1 John 5:13; John 11:4; Isaiah 54:15
- 16 John 13:37; Matthew 26:35; Matthew 10:3; Luke 6:15; Mark 3:18
- 17 John 11:39; Hosea 6:2; Acts 2:27–31; John 2:19
- 18 Luke 24:13; Revelation 14:20; John 11:1; Revelation 21:16; John 6:19
- 19 Job 2:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; John 11:31; 2 Corinthians 1:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:18
- 20 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Luke 10:38–42; Matthew 25:1; John 11:30; Acts 10:25
- 21 John 11:32; Matthew 9:18; 1 Kings 17:18; Psalm 78:19; John 11:37
- 22 John 9:31; John 11:41–42; Mark 9:23; Matthew 28:18; Hebrews 11:17–19
- 23 John 11:43–44
- 24 Daniel 12:2–3; Acts 24:15; John 5:28–29; Isaiah 26:19; Acts 17:31–32
- 25 1 Thessalonians 4:14; John 3:36; 1 John 5:11–12; John 1:4; Romans 8:10–11
- 26 John 10:28; John 5:24; Romans 8:13; 1 John 5:10–12; John 8:51–53
- 27 Matthew 16:16; John 6:14; John 6:69; Malachi 3:1; 1 John 5:1
- 28 John 13:13; John 11:20; Mark 10:49; John 20:16; 1 Thessalonians 4:17–18
- 29 Psalm 27:8; Proverbs 15:23; Song of Songs 3:1–4; Psalm 119:59–60; Proverbs 27:17
- 30 John 11:20
- 31 John 11:19; 2 Samuel 12:16–18; Genesis 37:35; 1 Corinthians 2:15
- 32 John 11:21; Luke 5:8; Luke 17:16; Luke 8:41; Revelation 5:14
- 33 John 11:38; John 12:27; Mark 3:5; Romans 12:15; Genesis 43:30–31
- 34 Matthew 28:6; John 20:2; Mark 16:6; Mark 15:47; John 1:39
- 35 Luke 19:41; Hebrews 4:15; John 11:33; Isaiah 53:3; Psalm 119:136
- 36 John 11:3; 1 John 3:1; Revelation 1:5; 1 John 4:9–10; Ephesians 5:2
- 37 John 9:6–7; Psalm 78:19–20; John 11:32; Luke 23:35; Matthew 27:40–42
- 38 John 11:33; Matthew 27:60; Luke 24:2; Genesis 23:19; Isaiah 22:16
- 39 John 11:17; Psalm 49:7; Mark 16:3; Philippians 3:21; Genesis 3:19
- 40 John 11:4; John 11:23–26; Romans 4:17–25; Psalm 63:2; John 1:14
- 41 Matthew 11:25; John 17:1; Psalm 123:1; Philippians 4:6; Luke 10:21
- 42 John 3:17; John 17:21; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 4:14; Hebrews 5:7
- 43 2 Kings 4:33–36; Acts 9:40; Acts 9:34; Luke 7:14–15; 1 Kings 17:21–22
- 44 John 5:25; John 20:7; John 11:25–26; Luke 7:15; John 5:21
- 45 John 11:19; John 2:23; John 12:42; John 12:17–19; John 7:31
- 46 Luke 16:30–31; John 9:13; Acts 5:25; John 5:15–16; John 12:37
- 47 Matthew 26:3; Acts 4:16–17; Matthew 5:22; Acts 4:5–6; John 2:11
- 48 1 Thessalonians 2:15–16; Daniel 9:26–27; Matthew 23:35–38; Zechariah 14:1–2; Matthew 27:25
- 49 Proverbs 26:12; Matthew 26:3; John 18:13–14; John 11:51; Luke 3:2
- 50 John 18:14; Luke 24:46; Romans 3:8; John 19:12; John 11:48
- 51 2 Corinthians 5:21; Daniel 9:26; 1 Samuel 23:9; Matthew 20:28; Exodus 28:30
- 52 John 10:16; Isaiah 49:6; 1 John 2:2; 1 Peter 1:1; Ephesians 1:9–10
- 53 Acts 5:33; Acts 9:23; Psalm 2:2; Matthew 26:59; John 11:47
- 54 John 7:1; John 7:4; 2 Chronicles 13:19; John 7:13; John 18:20
- 55 2 Chronicles 30:17–20; Hebrews 9:13–14; John 2:13; Exodus 19:10; John 6:4
- 56 John 7:11; John 11:7–8
- 57 Psalm 109:4; John 10:39; John 9:22; John 5:16–18; John 8:59
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Among all the miracles wrought by our Lord Jesus Christ, the resurrection of Lazarus holds a foremost place in preaching. But if we consider attentively who did it, our duty is to rejoice rather than to wonder.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
Many men, when they see any of those who are pleasing to God suffering anything terrible, as, for instance, having fallen into sickness, or poverty, and any other the like, are offended, not knowing that to those especially dear to God it belongeth to endure these things; since Lazarus also was one of the friends of Christ, and was sick.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 14 (1889)
Then, when He had raised Lazarus from the dead, and plots were formed against Him by the Pharisees, He withdrew to a city called Ephraim; and from that place, as it is written "He came to Bethany six days before the passover," and going up from Bethany to Jerusalem, He there ate the passover, and suffered on the day following.
When, therefore, we read in the Gospel that the hard-heartedness of the Jews moved Him to sorrowful indignation, that He said, "I am glad for your sakes, to the intent ye may believe," that when about to raise Lazarus He even shed tears, that He earnestly desired to eat the passover with His disciples, that as His passion drew near …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… Lazarus, added also a prayer; and then, lest this should make Him appear less than Him that begat Him, He, to correct this suspicion, added, "I said these things, because of the people which standeth by, that they may believe that thou hast sent me." And neither doth He work all things as one who acted by His own power, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)