Kwakukhona othile owayegula, onguLazaru waseBhethaniya, isigodi okwakuhlala kuso uMariya nodadewabo uMartha. UMariya owayegulelwa nguLazaru umnewabo, nguye lowo owagcoba ngamafutha iNkosi uJesu, wesula izinyawo zayo ngezinwele zakhe. Ngakho-ke odadewabo bathumela kuJesu, bathi: “Nkosi, bheka, umngani wakho omkhonzile uyagula.”
UJesu ekuzwa lokho, wathi: “Lokhu kugula akukhona okokufa, kodwa ukuze kudunyiswe uNkulunkulu, neNdodana kaNkulunkulu idunyiswe ngakho.”
UJesu wayebathanda oMartha nodadewabo noLazaru. Ngakho-ke lapho esezwa ukuthi uLazaru uyagula, wahlala izinsuku ezimbili kuleyo ndawo ayekuyo. Emva kwalokho wathi kubafundi bakhe: “Masihambe, siphindele eJudiya.”
Abafundi bathi kuye: “Rabi, akukapholi maseko abaJuda befuna ukukukhanda ngamatshe, usuya khona futhi na?”
UJesu waphendula, wathi: “Imini ayinawo yini amahora ali-12 na? Uma umuntu ehamba emini akakhubeki, ngokuba ubona ukukhanya kwaleli lizwe. Kepha uma ehamba ebusuku uyakhubeka, ngokuba kungekho ukukhanya kuye.”
Wakukhuluma lokho, qede wathi kubo: “ULazaru, umngani wethu ulele, kodwa ngiyahamba ukuze ngimvuse ebuthongweni.”
Ngakho-ke abafundi bakhe bathi kuye: “Nkosi, uma elele, uzosinda.”
Kepha uJesu wayekhuluma ngokufa kwakhe, kodwa bona babethi ukhuluma ngokulala ubuthongo.
Ngakho-ke uJesu wabatshela ngokucacileyo wathi kubo: “ULazaru ufile. Kepha ngiyathokoza ngenxa yenu ngokuthi bengingekho lapho, ukuze nikholwe, kodwa masihambe siye kuye.”
Khona uThomase okuthiwa nguDidimu, wathi kwabanye abafundi ababenaye: “Masihambe nathi, ukuze sife kanye naye!”
Esefikile uJesu, wafumana ukuthi usenezinsuku ezine uLazaru esethuneni. IBhethaniya laliseduze neJerusalema, kungamastadiyu ali-15. Iningi labaJuda lalifikile ukuzoduduza uMartha noMariya ngomnewabo.
UMartha ezwa ukuthi uJesu uyeza, wamhlangabeza, kodwa uMariya wayehleli endlini.
UMartha wathi kuJesu: “Nkosi, ukuba ubukhona, umfowethu ngabe akafanga. Kepha namanje, ngiyazi ukuthi noma yini ongayicela kuNkulunkulu, uzakukunika yona.”
UJesu wathi: “Umfowenu uzakuvuka.”
UMartha wathi kuye: “Ngiyazi ukuthi uyakuvuka ekuvukeni ngomhla wokuphela.”
UJesu wathi kuye: “Mina ngingukuvuka nokuphila; okholwa yimi noma efa uyakuphila, nalowo ophilayo, akholwe yimi, akasoze afa nanini. Uyakukholwa yilokho na?”
Waphendula, wathi: “Yebo Nkosi, ngiyakholwa ukuthi Wena unguKhristu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, obezakuza emhlabeni.”
Esekushilo lokho uMartha, wahamba wayobiza uMariya, udadewabo ngasese, wathi: “UMfundisi ukhona, futhi uyakubiza.”
Lapho ekuzwa lokho, uMariya wathi lacu masinyane, waya kuye. Kepha uJesu wayengakafiki emzini; wayesekuleyo ndawo uMartha ayemhlangabeze kuyo. Ngakho-ke abaJuda ababenaye endlini bemduduza, kuthe bebona uMariya esukuma ngokushesha ephuma, bamlandela, ngoba babecabanga ukuthi uya ethuneni ukuba ayokhala khona.
Ngakho uMariya esefikile lapho uJesu ayekhona, wathi ukuba ambone wazilahla ngasezinyaweni zakhe, wathi: “Nkosi, ukuba ubukhona, umfowethu ngabe akafanga.”
Ngakho-ke uJesu embona ekhala, nabaJuda ababefike naye bekhala, wathinteka kakhulu emoyeni, wakhathazeka, wayesethi: “Nimngcwabe kuphi na?”
Bathi kuye: “Nkosi, woza uzobona.”
UJesu wakhala izinyembezi. Ngakho-ke abaJuda bathi: “Bheka, indlela abemkhonze ngayo.”
Kepha abanye kubo bathi: “Lo akavulanga yini amehlo empumputhe, pho ubengekwenze ngani ukuba le ndoda ingafi na?”
Ngakho-ke uJesu wathinteka kakhulu emoyeni, waya ethuneni. Ithuna lalingumhume, kubekwe itshe, livundle kuwo. UJesu wathi: “Susani itshe.”
UMartha, udadewabo kamufi, wathi kuye: “Nkosi, useyanuka, ngokuba sekulusuku lwesine lolu.”
UJesu wathi kuye: “Angikutshelanga yini ukuthi uma ukholwa, uzakubona inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu na?”
Balisusa-ke itshe. UJesu waphakamisa amehlo akhe, wathi: “Baba, ngiyakubonga, ngokuba ungizwile. Bengazi Mina ukuthi uhlala ungizwa, kodwa ngenxa yesixuku esingiphahlileyo ngikushilo lokho, ukuze sikholwe wukuthi nguwe ongithumileyo.”
Esekushilo lokho, wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “Lazaru, phuma.”
Waphuma obefile eboshwe ngezindwangu ezinyaweni nasezandleni, ubuso bakhe bumbozwe ngesiqephu sendwangu. UJesu wathi kubo: “Mthukululeni, nimyeke ahambe.”
Ngakho abaJuda abaningi ababeze kuMariya bebona akwenzileyo, bakholwa kuye.
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