John 11

Ukufa KukaLazaro

1Kwakulendoda eyayithiwa nguLazaro eyayigula. YayingeyaseBhethani umuzi okwakuhlala khona uMariya lodadewabo uMatha.

2UMariya lo olomnewabo uLazaro owayephethwe ngumkhuhlane, nguye owathela amakha iNkosi wesula izinyawo zayo ngezinwele zakhe. 3Ngakho odadewabo laba bathumela ilizwi kuJesu bathi, “Nkosi, lowo omthandayo uyagula.”

4UJesu esekuzwile lokhu wathi, “Ukugula lokhu kakuzukucina ngokufa. Hatshi, kungokodumo lukaNkulunkulu, ukuze iNdodana kaNkulunkulu idunyiswe ngakho.” 5UJesu wayemthanda uMatha kanye labafowabo oMariya loLazaro. 6Kodwa loba esezwile ukuthi uLazaro wayegula wazihlalela khona lapho ayekhona okwezinye izinsuku ezimbili.

7Wasesithi kubafundi bakhe, “Kasibuyeleni eJudiya.”

8Bathi, “Hawu, Rabi, kakusikho na ukuthi muvana nje abaJuda bake bazama ukukukhanda ngamatshe, kodwa wena usubuyela khona na?”

9UJesu waphendula wathi, “Kakusikho yini ukuthi kulamahora alitshumi lambili okukhanyisa kwelanga na? Umuntu ohamba emini kayikukhubeka ngokuba ebona ngokukhanya kwalapha emhlabeni. 10Ukhubeka nxa ehamba ebusuku ngokuba kalakho ukukhanya.”

11Esetshilo lokhu wasebatshela wathi, “Umngane wethu uLazaro uselele; kodwa ngiya khonale ukuyamvusa.”

12Abafundi bakhe baphendula bathi, “Nkosi, nxa kuvuma ukuthi alale, uzabangcono.” 13UJesu wayekhuluma ngokufa kwakhe, kodwa abafundi bakhe babesithi kumbe utsho ukulala okujayelekileyo.

14Wasebatshela ephumela egcekeni wathi, “ULazaro usefile, 15kodwa ukuze lina likholwe, ngiyathaba ukuthi bengingekho lapho. Kodwa kasiyeni kuye.”

16Yikho uTomasi (othiwa nguDidimu) wathi kwabanye abafundi, “Lathi kasihambeni, ukuze siyekufa laye.”

UJesu Ududuza OMariya LoMatha

17Ekufikeni kwakhe uJesu uLazaro wayesehlale ethuneni izinsuku ezine. 18EBhethani kwakungaphansi kwamakhilomitha amathathu kusukela eJerusalema, 19yikho abaJuda abanengi babezile ukuzakhalela oMatha loMariya ngokulahlekelwa kwabo ngumnewabo. 20Kwathi uMatha esizwa ukuthi uJesu wayesiza, waphuma wamhlangabeza, kodwa uMariya wasala ngekhaya.

21UMatha wathi kuJesu, “Nkosi, aluba ubukhona lapha ngabe umnewethu kafanga.

22Kodwa ngiyazi ukuthi lamanje uNkulunkulu uzakunika loba yini oyicelayo.”

23UJesu wathi kuye, “Umnewenu uzavuka njalo.”

24UMatha waphendula wathi, “Ngiyazi ukuthi uzavuka futhi ekuvukeni kwabafileyo ngosuku lokucina.”

25UJesu wathi kuye, “Mina ngiyikuvuka kwabafileyo lokuphila. Lowo okholwa kimi uzaphila, loba ezakufa; 26njalo lowo ophilayo njalo ekholwa kimi kasoze afa lanini. Uyakukholwa lokhu na?”

27Waphendula wathi, “Yebo, Nkosi, ngiyakholwa ukuthi unguye uKhristu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, obezakuza emhlabeni.”

28Esekutshilo lokho wabuyela ngekhaya wabizela umfowabo uMariya eceleni wathi, “UMfundisi usekhona, uyakucela.” 29UMariya wathi ekuzwa lokhu wasuka masinyane waya kuJesu. 30UJesu wayelokhu engakangeni phakathi komuzi, elokhu elapho ahlangana khona loMatha.

31Kwathi abaJuda ababe loMariya endlini bemduduza sebebonile ukuthi wasukuma njani masinyane waphuma, bamlandela, bekhumbula ukuthi kumbe wayesiya engcwabeni esiyakhalela khona.

32UMariya wonela ukufika lapho uJesu ayekhona, wambona, wazilahla phansi ezinyaweni zakhe wathi, “Nkosi, uba ubukhona lapha, umnewethu ngabe kafanga.”

33UJesu embona ekhala, kanye labaJuda ababemlandele labo bekhala, wadabuka kakhulu emoyeni, wakhathazeka. 34Wabuza wathi, “Limbeke ngaphi na?” Baphendula bathi, “Woza uzobona, Nkosi.”

35UJesu wakhala.

36AbaJuda basebesithi, “Liyabona ukuthi wayemthanda njani!”

37Kodwa abanye babo bathi, “Kanti yena lo owavula amehlo endoda eyayiyisiphofu wehlulekile yini ukwenza ukuthi umuntu lo angafi na?”

UJesu Uvusa ULazaro Kwabafileyo

38UJesu waphinda njalo wadabuka, weza ethuneni. Ingcwaba lalilubhalu, kulelitshe elalimbokothe intuba. 39Wathi, “Lisuseni ilitshe.” UMatha, udadewabo wendoda efileyo wathi, “Nkosi, kodwa khathesi sekulephunga elibi, ngoba usebe lapha izinsuku ezine.”

40UJesu wasesithi, “Kangikutshelanga yini ukuthi uma ukholwa uzabona inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu na?”

41Yikho base belisusa ilitshe. UJesu wasekhangela phezulu wathi, “Baba ngiyakubonga ukuthi ungizwile. 42Mina bengisazi ukuthi uhlala ungizwa, kodwa ngikutshela lokhu ngisenzela abantu abemi lapha, ukuze bakholwe ukuthi ungithumile.”

43Esetshilo lokhu uJesu wamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu wathi, “Lazaro, phuma!” 44Indoda efileyo yaphuma, izandla zayo lezinyawo kusongiwe ngamaqhele elineni, kulelembu limboze ubuso. UJesu wathi kubo, “Khuphani izivunulo zokungcwaba limyekele ahambe.”

Icebo Lokubulala UJesu

45Ngakho abanengi babaJuda abeza ukuzakhalela uMariya, sebebonile lokho uJesu akwenzayo, bathemba kuye. 46Kodwa abanye babo baya kubaFarisi bayabatshela lokho okwakwenziwe nguJesu. 47Abaphristi abakhulu labaFarisi basebebiza umhlangano woMphakathi. “Kanti sivele senzani?” babuzana. “Nangu phela umuntu lo esenza imimangaliso eminengi.

48Singamyekela aqhubeke ngalindlela, wonke umuntu uzakholwa kuye, njalo amaRoma azakuza athathe indawo yethu lesizwe sethu.”

49Kwasekusithi omunye wabo owayethiwa nguKhayafasi, owaye ngumphristi ophezu kwabanye ngalowomnyaka wakhuluma wathi, “Kalazi lutho loluncinyane! 50Kalikuboni lina ukuthi kungcono ukuba umuntu oyedwa afele abantu kulokuthi kubhubhe isizwe sonke.”

51Lokhu kazikhulumelanga yena ngokwakhe, kodwa njengomphristi ophezulu kwabanye ngalowomnyaka waphrofetha ukuthi uJesu wayezafela isizwe sabaJuda, 52kungasiso isizwe leso sodwa kodwa labantwana abachithekeneyo bakaNkulunkulu, ukuze balethwe ndawonye benziwe babe munye. 53Yikho kusukela ngalesosikhathi bakha amacebo okumbulala.

54Ngakho uJesu wayengasahambahambi obala phakathi kwabaJuda. Wasuka lapho waya emmangweni owawuseduze kwenkangala, emzini owawuthiwa yi-Efrayimi, lapho ahlala khona labafundi bakhe.

55Kwathi sekuzakuba yisikhathi sePhasika labaJuda, abanengi baqubuka elizweni baya eJerusalema ukuyahlanjululwa ngokomkhuba kungakabi yiPhasika. 56Babelokhu bethalaza befuna uJesu, kwathi bemi egcekeni lethempeli babuzana bathi, “Likhumbulani? Uvele kezi yini eDilini?” 57Kodwa abaphristi abakhulu labaFarisi basebelayele ukuthi nxa ekhona owayekwazi ukuthi uJesu wayengaphi, ahle abike ukuze bambophe.