John 11:1-14

1There was a certain man, who was called Lazarus. He lived at Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived too. He became ill.

2It was this Mary who had poured oil with a nice smell over the feet of the Lord Jesus. Then she had cleaned his feet with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was ill.

3So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus to say, ‘Lord, the friend that you love is ill.’

4Jesus heard the message. Then he said, ‘This illness will not finish with Lazarus's death. No, its purpose is to show how great God is. Because of this, people will see how great God's Son is.’

5Jesus loved Martha and her sister, and their brother Lazarus, too.

6He heard the news that Lazarus was ill. But then he stayed in the place where he was for two more days.

7After that, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘We should return to Judea.’

8The disciples said, ‘Teacher, only a short time ago, the Jews there tried to kill you with stones. You should not return there!’

9Jesus answered, ‘You know that there are 12 hours in the day. Anyone who walks during the day will not fall down. He will not fall down because he sees this world's light.

10But anyone who walks during the night will fall down. He will fall down because he has no light.’

11After Jesus said that, he said to them, ‘Our friend Lazarus is sleeping. But I will go there to wake him up.’

12So the disciples said to him, ‘If he is sleeping, Lord, he will get well again.’

13The disciples thought that Jesus was talking about sleep as rest. But Jesus meant that Lazarus had died.

14So then, Jesus told them clearly, ‘Lazarus is dead.