Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary Magdalene and her sister Martha. Therefore his sisters sent unto Jesus, saying, "Lord, look, he whom you love is sick."

When Jesus heard that, he said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified by it."

Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that Lazarus was sick, he remained two days still in the same place where he was. Then after that said he to his disciples, "Let us go into Judea again."

Jesus disciples said unto him, "Master, the Jews of late sought to stone you; and go you there again?"

Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbles not, because he sees the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbles, because there is no light in him." …After that he said unto the disciples, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep."

Then said his disciples, "Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well." (However, Jesus spoke of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.)

Then said Jesus unto them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent you may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him."

Then said Thomas…unto his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." Then when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had lain in the grave four days already.

Now Bethany was near unto Jerusalem…and many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatever you will ask of God, God will give it you."

Jesus said unto her, "Your brother shall rise again."

Martha said unto him, "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

Jesus said unto her, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Believe you this?"

She said unto him, "Yes, Lord: I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world." And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, "The Master is come, and calls for you." As soon as Mary heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto Jesus.

Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. The Jews then which were with Mary in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, "She goes unto the grave to weep there."

Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother had not died."

When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, and said, "Where have you laid him?"

They said unto him, "Lord, come and see."

Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, "Look how he loved him!" And some of them said, "Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?" Jesus therefore again groaning in himself came to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

Jesus said, "Take…away the stone."

Martha, the sister of him that was dead, said unto him, "Lord, by this time he stinks: for he has been dead four days."

Jesus said unto Martha, "Said I not unto you, that, if you would believe, you should see the glory of God?"

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. And I know that you hear me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that you have sent me." And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out." And he that was dead came out, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said unto them, "Loose him, and let him go."

Then many of the Jews, which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.

Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, "What do we? For this man does many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation."

And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, "You know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not." (And this spoke he not of himself: but…prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.)

Then from that day on the chief priests and Pharisees took counsel together for to put him to death. Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went from there unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.

And the Jews' Passover was near at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves. Then looked they for Jesus, and spoke among themselves, as they stood in the temple, "What think you, that he will not come to the feast?"

Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where Jesus was, he should show it, that they might take him.

And the disciples and Jesus were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them…and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him, saying, "Look, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: And they shall mock him, and shall whip him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again."

Then came to Jesus the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, "What wish you?"

She said unto him, "Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on your right hand, and the other on the left, in your kingdom."

But Jesus said unto them, "You know not what you ask: can you drink of the cup that I drink of? And be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"

And James and John said unto him, "We can."

And Jesus said unto them, "You shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized with shall you be baptized: But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared."

And when the ten other disciples heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John. But Jesus called them to him, and said unto them, "You know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whoever will be great among you, shall be your servant: And whoever of you will be the chief, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, look, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the tax collectors, and he was rich. And he tried to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the crowd, because he was little of stature. And he ran ahead, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.

And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw Zacchaeus, and said unto him, "Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must stay at your house." And Zacchaeus made haste, and came down, and received Jesus joyfully.

And when the crowd saw it, they all murmured, saying that "Jesus was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner."

And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him four times."

And Jesus said unto him, "This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as Zacchaeus also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

And as the people heard these things, Jesus added and spoke a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, "Occupy till I come."

"But his citizens hated the nobleman, and sent a message after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’ And it came to pass, that when the nobleman was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

"Then came the first, saying, ‘Lord, your pound has gained ten pounds.’

"And he said unto him, ‘Well, you good servant: because you have been faithful in a very little, have you authority over ten cities.’

And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your pound has gained five pounds.’

"And he said likewise to him, ‘Be you also over five cities.’

"And another came, saying, ‘Lord, look, here is your pound, which I have kept laid up in a handkerchief: For I feared you, because you are an austere man: you take up what you laid not down, and reap what you did not sow.’

"And the nobleman said unto him, ‘Out of your own mouth will I judge you, you wicked servant. ‘You knew that I was an austere man, taking up what I laid not down, and reaping what I did not sow: Why then gave not you my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required my own with interest?’

"And the nobleman said unto them that stood by, ‘Take from him the pound, and give it to him that has ten pounds. (And they said unto him, "Lord, he has ten pounds.") For I say unto you, that unto everyone, which has, shall be given, and from him that has not, even that he has shall be taken away from him. But those my enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring here, and kill them before me.’ " And when Jesus had thus spoken, he went…up to Jerusalem.

REFERENCES

John 11:1-57; Mark 10:32-34; Matthew 20:20-21; Mark 10:38-45; Luke 19:1-28.

CHAPTER 81