John 11 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters Mary and Martha.
1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus from Bethany, of the village of Mary and her sister, Martha.
2 Mary was the one who had anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was sick.
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 a message to Jesus: “Lord, your close friend 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 the news he said, “The end result of this sickness will not be death. Through this God's glory will be revealed so that the Son of God may be glorified.”
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 Even though Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus,
5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
6 and had heard that Lazarus was sick, he remained where he was for two more days.
6 When therefore he heard that he was sick, he stayed two days in the place where he was.
7 Then he told the disciples, “Let's return to Judea.”
7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let’s go into Judea again.”
8 The disciples replied, “Rabbi, just a few days ago the Jews were trying to stone you. Do you really want to go back there now?”
8 The disciples asked him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you. Are you going there again?”
9 “Aren't there twelve hours in a day?” Jesus replied.
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 “If you walk during the day you don't stumble because you can see where you're going by the light of this world. But if you walk during the night you stumble because you have no light.”
10 But if a man walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light isn’t in him.”
11 After telling them this, he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I'm going to go there and 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 The disciples said, “Lord, if he's sleeping then he'll get better.”
12 The disciples therefore said, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”
13 Jesus had been referring to the death of Lazarus, but the disciples thought he meant actual sleep.
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 For your sake I'm glad I wasn't there, because now you will be able to trust in me. Let's go and see 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 Thomas, the Twin, said to his fellow-disciples, “Let's go too so we can 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 he arrived, Jesus learned that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days.
17 So when Jesus came, he found that he had been in the tomb four days already.
18 Bethany was just two miles from Jerusalem,
18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away.
19 and many Jews had come to console Mary and Martha at 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 When Martha found out that Jesus was coming, she went 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'd been here, my brother wouldn't have died.
21 Therefore Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.
22 But I'm certain that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
22 Even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.”
23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day,” Martha answered.
24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who trust in me will live, even though they die.
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 All who live in me and trust 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 replied, “I believe you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one expected to come to this 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 When she had said this, she went and told her sister Mary in private, “The Teacher's here, and asking to see 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 As soon as she heard, Mary quickly got up and went to see him.
29 When she heard this, she arose quickly and went to him.
30 Jesus hadn't arrived in the village yet. He 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 The Jews who had been comforting Mary in the home saw how she'd got up quickly and left. So they followed her, thinking she was going to the tomb to weep 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 arrived at the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you'd been here, my brother wouldn't 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 crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying as well, he was very troubled and upset.
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 laid him?” he asked. They replied, “Lord, come and see.”
34 and said, “Where have you laid him?” They told him, “Lord, come and see.”
35 Then Jesus cried too.
35 Jesus wept.
36 “See how much he loved him,” the Jews said.
36 The Jews therefore said, “See how much affection he had for him!”
37 But some of them said, “If he could open the eyes of a blind man, couldn't he 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 Very troubled, Jesus went to the tomb. It was a cave with a large stone placed at 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 “Remove the stone,” Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man's sister, said, “Lord, by now there will be a terrible smell, for he's been dead for 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 “Didn't I tell you that if you trusted me you would see God's glory?” Jesus replied.
40 Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see God’s glory?”
41 So they removed the stone. Jesus looked heavenwards, and said, “Father, thank you for listening to 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 know you always listen to me. I said this because of the crowd standing here so that they will 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 saying this, Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”
43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of linen, and with a cloth around his face. “Unbind him and set him free,” 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 Consequently many of the Jews who had come to comfort Mary and who saw what Jesus did put their trust in him.
45 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what Jesus did believed in him.
46 But others 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 the Pharisees called a meeting of the ruling council. “What shall we do?” they asked. “This man is doing many miracles.
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 allow him to continue, everybody will believe in him, and then the Romans will destroy both the Temple and our status as a 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 “You don't understand anything!” said Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.
49 But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all,
50 “Can't you see that it's better for you that one man die for the people so that the whole nation won't be destroyed?”
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 He didn't say this on his own behalf, but as chief 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 this was not just for the Jewish nation, but for all the scattered children of God so that they might be gathered together and be made 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 From that time on they made plans as to how they might kill Jesus.
53 So from that day forward they took counsel that they might put him to death.
54 So Jesus did not travel openly among the Jews but went to a town called Ephraim in the region near the desert and stayed there with his 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 It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover, and many people went from the countryside to Jerusalem to purify themselves for 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 People were looking for Jesus and talking about him as they stood in the Temple. “What do you think?” they asked each other. “Isn't he coming to the festival?”
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 The chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus was should report it so 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)