Ukufa kwakaLazaru
1Umuntu okuthiwa nguLazaru begade agula. Yena bekungeweBhethaniya, umuzi wekhabo lakaMariya nodadwabo uMarta. 2UMariya ogade agulelwa ngumnakwabo lo, ngiloyo owathela iKosi ngamakha eenyaweni bewazisula ngeenhluthu zakhe. 3Nje-ke abodadwabo bathumela ilizwi kuJesu bathi: “Kosi, loyo omthandako uyagula.”
4UJesu sele akuzwile lokho, wathi: “Isiphetho sokugulokhu ayizukuba kukufa; kunalokho kuzokuletha iphazimulo kuZimu, khona iNdodana kaZimu izakudunyiswa ngakho.”
5UJesu bekathanda uMarta nodadwabo kanye noLazaru. 6Kwathi bona ezwe bonyana uLazaru uyagula, wahlala lapha gade akhona amalanga amanye amabili godu. 7Yeke wathi ebafundini bakhe: “Asikhambeni sibuyele eJudiya.”
8Abafundi bamphendula bathi: “Mfundisi, isikhatjhana esifitjhani esidlulileko amaJuda gade afuna ukukukhanda ngamatje, alo-ke ubhincela ukubuyela emuva godu na?”
9UJesu wathi: “Angithi ilanga linama-awara alitjhumi nambili na? Nje-ke loyo okhamba emini, akazukukhutjwa ngombana uyawubona umkhanyo wephaseli. 10Kodwana okhamba ebusuku uyakhutjwa ngombana akanawo umkhanyo.” 11UJesu watjho lokhu, godu wangezelela wathi: “Umnganethu uLazaru ulele, kodwana ngizakukhamba ngiyomvusa.”
12Abafundi bamphendula bathi: “Kosi, nangabe ulele, uzakuphola.”
13UJesu bekasitjho bona uLazaru uhlongekile. Kodwana bebadlumbana bona utjho ukulala ubuthongo. 14Yeke uJesu wabatjela pha wathi: “ULazaru ufile. 15Kodwana ngebanga lenu ngithabile ngombana bengingekho lapho khona nizakukholwa. Yeke asikhambeni siye kuye.”
16UTomasi obizwa bona nguDidumosi, wathi ebafundini: “Asikhambeni nathi khona sizakufa naye!”
UJesu ukuvuka nokuphila
17UJesu wafika, wafumana uLazaru sele anamalanga amane abulungiwe. 18IBhethaniya beyingaphasi kwamamayela amabili ukusuka eJerusalema. 19AmaJuda amanengi bekeze ukuzokutjhiriya uMarta noMariya ngokufa komfowabo.
20Kwathi bona uMarta ezwe bona uJesu uyeza, waphuma wayomhlangabeza, kodwana uMariya wahlala ngendlini. 21UMarta wathi kuJesu: “Kosi, ngathana gade ulapha, umfowethu ngangakafi! 22Kodwana ngiyazi bona uZimu uzakupha nanyana yini oyibawako.”
23UJesu wathi kuye: “Umfowenu uzakuvuka aphile godu.”
24Waphendula wathi: “Ngiyazi uzakuvuka aphile godu ngokuvuka komhla wokuphela.”
25UJesu wathi kuye: “Ngingukuvuka nokuphila, loyo okholwa kimi uzakuphila, ngitjho nanyana angafa. 26Naloyo ophilako akholwe kimi angekhe afa nanini. Uyakukholwa lokhu na?”
27Waphendula wathi: “Iye, Kosi! Ngiyakholwa bona unguKrestu, iNdodana kaZimu, ebekufanele ize ephasini.”
UJesu uyalila
28Ngemva kobana uMarta atjho lokhu, wabuyela emuva wayokubiza udadwabo uMariya ngasese wathi: “Umfundisi ufikile, uyakufuna.” 29Kuthe bona uMariya ezwe lokhu, wasuka msinyana waya kuye. 30UJesu bekangakafiki ngemzini, kodwana bekasesendaweni lapha uMarta amhlangabeze khona. 31AmaJuda agade angendlini noMariya amtjhiriya, amlandela lokha nakayelela ukuphuma kwakhe masinyana. Wona bekadlumbana bona uya elibeni uyokulila khona.
32Kwathi bona uMariya afike lapha kunoJesu khona ambone, waguqa eenyaweni zakhe wathi: “Kosi, ngathana gade ulapha umfowethu ngangakafi!”
33UJesu nakambona alila, namaJuda eze naye nawo alila; ihliziywakhe yakghwatheka wakhathazeka kwamambala. 34Wabuza wathi: “Nimbulungephi na?”
Amphendula athi: “Kosi, yiza uzokubona.”
35UJesu walila. 36AmaJuda athi: “Qalani bona ubamthanda kangangani!”
37Kodwana amanye wawo athi: “Alo, nitjho bona owaphophulula isiphofu ubangekhe avikele umuntu lo bona angafi na?”
UJesu uvusa uLazaru ekufeni
38UJesu asakhathazeke khulu njalo, wafika elibeni. Gade lilirharha livalwe ngelitje emnyango.
39UJesu wathi: “Susani ilitje!”
UMarta, udadwabo lomufi, waphendula wathi: “Kosi, kuzakuba nephunga elimbi, selanamalanga amane abulungiwe!”
40UJesu wathi kuye: “Azange ngikutjele bona uzakubona iphazimulo kaZimu nawukholwako na?” 41Balisusa ilitje. UJesu waqala phezulu wathi: “Ngiyakuthokoza, Baba ngombana ungilalele. 42Ngiyazi bona ungilalela njalo. Kodwana lokhu ngikutjho ngebanga labantu abajame lapha, khona bazakholwa bona ungithumile.” 43Kwathi bona uJesu atjho lokho, wabiza ngelizwi elikhulu wathi: “Lazaru, phuma!” 44Ofileko waphuma izandla neenyawo zakhe ziphuthelwe ngamatjhila weliba netjhila elimhlophe ebusweni. UJesu wabatjela bona bamtjhaphulule bamlise akhambe.
Basongela uJesu
(Mt 26:1-5; Mk 14:1-2; Lk 22:1-2)
45AmaJuda amanengi ebekeze kuMariya nakabona lokho uJesu akwenzileko, amkholwa. 46Kodwana amanye abuyela ebaFarisini ayobatjela bona uJesu wenzeni. 47Yeke abaFarisi nabaphristi abakhulu bahlangana nebandla bathi: “Sizakwenza njani na? Qalani zoke iimangaliso umuntu lo azenzako! 48Nasingamlisa aragele phambili enze nje, woke umuntu uzokukholwa kuye. AmaRoma azokuza athathe indawethu le nesizwe sethu!”
49Nje-ke omunye wabo obizwa bona nguKhayafasi, obegade amuphristi omkhulu umnyaka lowo, wathi kibo: “Niziindlhayela kangangani! 50Anilemuki bonyana kungcono kufe umuntu oyedwa afele abantu kunobanyana kurhayilwe soke isizwe na?” 51Gade angatjho lokhu ngokwakhe, kodwana njengomphristi omkhulu umnyaka lowo, bekaphorofida bona uJesu uzokufela isizwe samaJuda, 52ingasi isizwe kwaphela kodwana abuthelele ndawonye abantwana abarhatjhekileko bakaZimu.
53Nje-ke kusukela khona mhlokho benza amaqhinga wokubulala uJesu. 54Ngalokho uJesu azange abe asakhamba umathanda hlangana namaJuda. Kunalokho wazitsomula waya esifundeni esiseduze nerhalawumbeni, emzaneni okuthiwa yi-Efrayimi, lapha ahlala khona nabafundi bakhe.
55Kwathi lokha isikhathi somnyanya wePhasika lamaJuda nasele sitjhidele, abanengi ababuya emaphandleni bakhuphukela eJerusalema kobana bayokuhlanjululwa ngaphambi komnyanya. 56Bebafuna uJesu njengombana bebahlangana ngethempelini, babuzana bathi: “Nibona njani? Nitjho bona angekhe alibhada emnyanyenapha na?” 57Abaphristi abakhulu nabaFarisi benza isimemezelo bona loyo owaziko bona uJesu ukuphi, kufanele abike, khona bazambamba.
