John 11
New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel
John chapter 11 is given here in full, verse by verse, in the English Majority Text Version (EMTV), with the Byzantine Majority Text set beneath each verse. The text follows the Byzantine textual tradition used in the Orthodox Church.
7 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from 3 Fathers — Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Augustine of Hippo, and Saint Augustine.
John 11
1Now there was a certain man who was sick, Lazarus from Bethany, of the village of Mary and her sister Martha.Ἦν δέ τις ἀσθενῶν Λάζαρος ἀπὸ Βηθανίας, ἐκ τῆς κώμης Μαρίας καὶ Μάρθας τῆς ἀδελφῆς αὐτῆς.
2Now it was that Mary who had anointed the Lord with myrrh, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.Ἦν δὲ Μαρία ἡ ἀλείψασα τὸν Κύριον μύρῳ, καὶ ἐκμάξασα τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ ταῖς θριξὶν αὐτῆς, ἧς ὁ ἀδελφὸς Λάζαρος ἠσθένει.
3Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”Ἀπέστειλαν οὖν αἱ ἀδελφαὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγουσαι, Κύριε, ἴδε ὃν φιλεῖς ἀσθενεῖ.
4And when Jesus heard, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”Ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν, Αὕτη ἡ ἀσθένεια οὐκ ἔστι πρὸς θάνατον, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὲρ τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα δοξασθῇ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ δι᾽ αὐτῆς.
5Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.Ἠγάπα δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὴν Μάρθαν καὶ τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτῆς καὶ τὸν Λάζαρον.
6Therefore when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed in the place where He was for two days.Ὡς οὖν ἤκουσεν ὅτι ἀσθενεῖ, τότε μὲν ἔμεινεν ἐν ᾧ ἦν τόπῳ δύο ἡμέρας.
7Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go into Judea again.”Ἔπειτα μετὰ τοῦτο λέγει τοῖς μαθηταῖς, Ἄγωμεν εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν πάλιν.
8The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, just now the Jews were seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?”Λέγουσιν αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταί, Ῥαββί, νῦν ἐζήτουν σε λιθάσαι οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, καὶ πάλιν ὑπάγεις ἐκεῖ;
9Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.Ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς, Οὐχὶ δώδεκά εἰσιν ὧραι τῆς ἡμέρας; Ἐάν τις περιπατῇ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, οὐ προσκόπτει, ὅτι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου τούτου βλέπει.
10But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”Ἐὰν δέ τις περιπατῇ ἐν τῇ νυκτί, προσκόπτει, ὅτι τὸ φῶς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν αὐτῷ.
11These things He said, and after this He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going so that I may awaken him.”Ταῦτα εἶπε, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο λέγει αὐτοῖς, Λάζαρος ὁ φίλος ἡμῶν κεκοίμηται· ἀλλὰ πορεύομαι ἵνα ἐξυπνίσω αὐτόν.
12Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep he will get well.”Εἶπον οὖν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, Κύριε, εἰ κεκοίμηται, σωθήσεται.
13However, Jesus spoke about his death, but they thought that He was speaking about resting in sleep.Εἰρήκει δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς περὶ τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ ἔδοξαν ὅτι περὶ τῆς κοιμήσεως τοῦ ὕπνου λέγει.
14Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.Τότε οὖν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς παρρησίᾳ, Λάζαρος ἀπέθανε.
15And I rejoice for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”Καὶ χαίρω δι᾽ ὑμᾶς, ἵνα πιστεύσητε, ὅτι οὐκ ἤμην ἐκεῖ· ἀλλὰ ἄγωμεν πρὸς αὐτόν.
16Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”Εἶπεν οὖν Θωμᾶς, ὁ λεγόμενος Δίδυμος, τοῖς συμμαθηταῖς, Ἄγωμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἵνα ἀποθάνωμεν μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ.
17Therefore when He had come, Jesus found that he had already been in the tomb four days.Ἐλθὼν οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εὗρεν αὐτὸν τέσσαρας ἡμέρας ἤδη ἔχοντα ἐν τῷ μνημείῳ.
18Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.Ἦν δὲ ἡ Βηθανία ἐγγὺς τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων, ὡς ἀπὸ σταδίων δεκαπέντε·
19And many of the Jews had come to the women around Martha and Mary, so that they might console them concerning their brother.καὶ πολλοὶ ἐκ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐληλύθεισαν πρὸς τὰς περὶ Μάρθαν καὶ Μαρίαν, ἵνα παραμυθήσωνται αὐτὰς περὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτῶν.
20Then Martha, when she heard that Jesus was coming, met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.Ἡ οὖν Μάρθα, ὡς ἤκουσεν ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἔρχεται, ὑπήντησεν αὐτῷ· Μαρία δὲ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ ἐκαθέζετο.
21Then Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.Εἶπεν οὖν Μάρθα πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν, Κύριε, εἰ ἦς ὧδε, ὁ ἀδελφός μου οὐκ ἂν ἐτεθνήκει.
22But even now I know that whatever You may ask of God, God will give You.”Ἀλλὰ καὶ νῦν οἶδα ὅτι ὅσα ἂν αἰτήσῃ τὸν Θεόν, δώσει σοι ὁ Θεός.
23Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”Λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Ἀναστήσεται ὁ ἀδελφός σου.
24Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”Λέγει αὐτῷ Μάρθα, Οἶδα ὅτι ἀναστήσεται ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ.
25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He that believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.Εἶπεν αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή· ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμέ, κἂν ἀποθάνῃ, ζήσεται·
26And everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”καὶ πᾶς ὁ ζῶν καὶ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμέ, οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Πιστεύεις τοῦτο;
27She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”Λέγει αὐτῷ, Ναί, Κύριε· ἐγὼ πεπίστευκα, ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστός, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἐρχόμενος.
28And when she had said these things, she went out and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.”Καὶ ταῦτα εἰποῦσα ἀπῆλθε, καὶ ἐφώνησε Μαρίαν τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτῆς λάθρᾳ, εἰποῦσα, Ὁ διδάσκαλος πάρεστι καὶ φωνεῖ σε.
29As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.Ἐκείνη ὡς ἤκουσεν, ἐγείρεται ταχὺ καὶ ἔρχεται πρὸς αὐτόν.
30Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was in the place where Martha met Him.Οὔπω δὲ ἐληλύθει ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὴν κώμην, ἀλλ᾽ ἦν ἐν τῷ τόπῳ ὅπου ὑπήντησεν αὐτῷ ἡ Μάρθα.
31Then the Jews who were with her in the house and consoling her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb, so that she may weep there.”Οἱ οὖν Ἰουδαῖοι οἱ ὄντες μετ᾽ αὐτῆς ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ καὶ παραμυθούμενοι αὐτήν, ἰδόντες τὴν Μαρίαν ὅτι ταχέως ἀνέστη καὶ ἐξῆλθεν, ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῇ, λέγοντες ὅτι Ὑπάγει εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον, ἵνα κλαύσῃ ἐκεῖ.
32Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, seeing Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”Ἡ οὖν Μαρία, ὡς ἦλθεν ὅπου ἦν ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ἰδοῦσα αὐτόν, ἔπεσεν αὐτοῦ εἰς τοὺς πόδας λέγουσα αὐτῷ, Κύριε, εἰ ἦς ὧδε, οὐκ ἂν ἀπέθανέ μου ὁ ἀδελφός.
33Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.Ἰησοῦς οὖν ὡς εἶδεν αὐτὴν κλαίουσαν, καὶ τοὺς συνελθόντας αὐτῇ Ἰουδαίους κλαίοντας, ἐνεβριμήσατο τῷ πνεύματι, καὶ ἐτάραξεν ἑαυτόν,
34And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”καὶ εἶπε, Ποῦ τεθείκατε αὐτόν; Λέγουσιν αὐτῷ, Κύριε, ἔρχου καὶ ἴδε.
35Jesus wept.Ἐδάκρυσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς.
36Therefore the Jews were saying, “Look how He loved him!”Ἔλεγον οὖν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, Ἴδε πῶς ἐφίλει αὐτόν.
37But some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, have done something to keep this man from dying?”Τινὲς δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν εἶπον, Οὐκ ἠδύνατο οὗτος, ὁ ἀνοίξας τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τοῦ τυφλοῦ, ποιῆσαι ἵνα καὶ οὗτος μὴ ἀποθάνῃ;
38Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying upon it.Ἰησοῦς οὖν πάλιν ἐμβριμώμενος ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἔρχεται εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον. Ἦν δὲ σπήλαιον, καὶ λίθος ἐπέκειτο ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ.
39Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the one having died, said to Him, “Lord, already there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”Λέγει ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Ἄρατε τὸν λίθον. Λέγει αὐτῷ ἡ ἀδελφὴ τοῦ τεθνηκότος Μάρθα, Κύριε, ἤδη ὄζει· τεταρταῖος γάρ ἐστι.
40Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”Λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Οὐκ εἶπόν σοι ὅτι ἐὰν πιστεύσῃς, ὄψει τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ;
41Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.Ἦραν οὖν τὸν λίθον, οὗ ἦν ὁ τεθνηκὼς κείμενος. Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἦρε τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἄνω, καὶ εἶπε, Πάτερ, εὐχαριστῶ σοι ὅτι ἤκουσάς μου.
42And I knew that You always hear Me, but because of the people standing around I said this, so that they may believe that You sent Me.”Ἐγὼ δὲ ᾔδειν ὅτι πάντοτέ μου ἀκούεις· ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν ὄχλον τὸν περιεστῶτα εἶπον, ἵνα πιστεύσωσιν ὅτι σύ με ἀπέστειλας.
43And having said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!”Καὶ ταῦτα εἰπών, φωνῇ μεγάλῃ ἐκραύγασε, Λάζαρε, δεῦρο ἔξω.
44And the one having died came out, bound hands and feet with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped in a handkerchief. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”Καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ τεθνηκώς, δεδεμένος τοὺς πόδας καὶ τὰς χεῖρας κειρίαις, καὶ ἡ ὄψις αὐτοῦ σουδαρίῳ περιεδέδετο. Λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Λύσατε αὐτόν, καὶ ἄφετε ὑπάγειν.
45Therefore many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and seeing the things which Jesus had done, believed in Him.Πολλοὶ οὖν ἐκ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, οἱ ἐλθόντες πρὸς τὴν Μαρίαν καὶ θεασάμενοι ἃ ἐποίησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ἐπίστευσαν εἰς αὐτόν.
46But some of them went away to the Pharisees, and told them the things which Jesus had done.Τινὲς δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀπῆλθον πρὸς τοὺς Φαρισαίους, καὶ εἶπον αὐτοῖς ἃ ἐποίησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς.
47Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What are we doing? For this Man works many signs.Συνήγαγον οὖν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι συνέδριον, καὶ ἔλεγον, Τί ποιοῦμεν; Ὅτι οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος πολλὰ σημεῖα ποιεῖ.
48If we leave Him alone in this way, all will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and will take away both our place and nation.”Ἐὰν ἀφῶμεν αὐτὸν οὕτω, πάντες πιστεύσουσιν εἰς αὐτόν· καὶ ἐλεύσονται οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ ἀροῦσιν ἡμῶν καὶ τὸν τόπον καὶ τὸ ἔθνος.
49But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You don't know anything,Εἷς δέ τις ἐξ αὐτῶν Καϊάφας, ἀρχιερεὺς ὢν τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἐκείνου, εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Ὑμεῖς οὐκ οἴδατε οὐδέν,
50nor do you consider that it is advantageous for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.”οὐδὲ διαλογίζεσθε ὅτι συμφέρει ἡμῖν ἵνα εἷς ἄνθρωπος ἀποθάνῃ ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ μὴ ὅλον τὸ ἔθνος ἀπόληται.
51Now this he did not say on his own, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation,Τοῦτο δὲ ἀφ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ οὐκ εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ ἀρχιερεὺς ὢν τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἐκείνου, προεφήτευσεν ὅτι ἔμελλεν Ἰησοῦς ἀποθνῄσκειν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἔθνους,
52and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.καὶ οὐχ ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἔθνους μόνον, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα καὶ τὰ τέκνα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ διεσκορπισμένα συναγάγῃ εἰς ἕν.
53Therefore from that day on they took counsel together, that they might kill Him.Ἀπ᾽ ἐκείνης οὖν τῆς ἡμέρας συνεβουλεύσαντο ἵνα ἀποκτείνωσιν αὐτόν.
54Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but He went away from there into the country near the desert, to a city called Ephraim, and there He stayed with His disciples.Ἰησοῦς οὖν οὐκέτι παρρησίᾳ περιεπάτει ἐν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, ἀλλὰ ἀπῆλθεν ἐκεῖθεν εἰς τὴν χώραν ἐγγὺς τῆς ἐρήμου, εἰς Ἐφραὶμ λεγομένην πόλιν, κἀκεῖ διέτριβε μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ.
55Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, so that they might purify themselves.Ἦν δὲ ἐγγὺς τὸ Πάσχα τῶν Ἰουδαίων· καὶ ἀνέβησαν πολλοὶ εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἐκ τῆς χώρας πρὸ τοῦ Πάσχα, ἵνα ἁγνίσωσιν ἑαυτούς.
56Then they were seeking Jesus, and they were speaking with one another, standing in the temple, “What do you think—that He will definitely not come to the feast?”Ἐζήτουν οὖν τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ ἔλεγον μετ᾽ ἀλλήλων ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ἑστηκότες, Τί δοκεῖ ὑμῖν; Ὅτι οὐ μὴ ἔλθῃ εἰς τὴν ἑορτήν;
57Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, so that they might seize Him.Δεδώκεισαν δὲ καὶ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι ἐντολήν, ἵνα ἐάν τις γνῷ ποῦ ἐστι, μηνύσῃ, ὅπως πιάσωσιν αὐτόν.
The Fathers on John 11
Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Augustine of Hippo, and Saint Augustine comment on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On John 11:1–2Saint John Chrysostom“Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, of the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment.”
Read Homilies on the Gospel of John →
On John 11:1–54Saint Augustine of Hippo1. Among all the miracles wrought by our Lord Jesus Christ, the resurrection of Lazarus holds a foremost place in preaching. But if we consider attentively who did it, our duty is to rejoice rather than to wonder. A man was raised up by Him who made man: for He is the only One of the Father, by whom, as you know, all...
Read Tractates on the Gospel of John →
On John 11:2Saint AugustineMatthew, then, continuing his narrative from the point up to which we had concluded its examination, proceeds in the following terms: “Then assembled together the chief priests and the elders of the people unto the palace of...
Read The Harmony of the Gospels →
On John 11:30–31Saint John Chrysostom“Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met Him. The Jews then which were with her,” and what follows.
Read Homilies on the Gospel of John →
On John 11:41–42Saint John Chrysostom“Jesus lifted up His eyes, and said, Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me; and I knew that Thou hearest Me always, but because of the people which stand by, I said it.” And what follows.
Read Homilies on the Gospel of John →
On John 11:49–50Saint John Chrysostom“And one of them, Caiaphas, being the High Priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not,” &c.
Read Homilies on the Gospel of John →
On John 11:34Open John 11 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint AugustineMatthew proceeds thus: “And there was there Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.” This is given by Mark as follows: “And Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Joseph, beheld where He was...
Read The Harmony of the Gospels →