UYesu wayenabahlobo abathathu ababehlala eBhethani. Wayebathanda kakhulu. YayinguLazaro, noodadewabo ababini uMariya noMarta. Ngenye imini xa uYesu wayengaphesheya kweYordan, uMariya noMarta bathumela umyalezo ongxamisekileyo, othi: ‘ULazaro ugula kakhulu. Sicela ukhawulez’ ufike!’ Kodwa uYesu akazange aye kwangoko. Walinda iintsuku zambini, emva koko wathi kubafundi bakhe: ‘Masiyeni eBhethani. ULazaro ulele, kufuneka ndiyokumvusa.’ Abapostile bakhe bathi: ‘Ukuba uLazaro ulele, uza kutsho aphile.’ UYesu wabacacisela ngokuthi: ‘ULazaro ufile.’

Ukufika kukaYesu eBhethani, uLazaro wayeneentsuku ezine engcwatyiwe. Kwakugcwele abantu ababeze kuthuthuzela uMarta noMariya. Xa uMarta wevayo ukuba uYesu ufikile, wakhawuleza waya kuye. Wathi: “Nkosi, ukuba ubulapha, umntakwethu ngengafanga.” UYesu wathi kuye: ‘Umntakwenu uza kuphila kwakhona. Uyayikholelwa loo nto, Marta?’ Wathi: ‘Ndikholelwa ukuba uza kuvuswa kuvuko.’ UYesu wathi: “Ndim uvuko nobomi.”

Emva koko uMarta waya kuMariya waza wathi kuye: ‘UYesu ufikile.’ UMariya wabaleka waya kuYesu ibe walandelwa ngabantu abaninzi. Wawela ezinyaweni zikaYesu, engayeki ukukhala. Wathi: ‘Nkosi, ukuba ubukhona, umntakwethu ngesaphila!’ UYesu wabona indlela abuhlungu ngayo waza naye walila. Xa abantu babona uYesu elila, bathi: ‘Ebemthanda nyhani uLazaro.’ Kodwa abanye babezibuza: ‘Kutheni engamsindisanga umhlobo wakhe?’ Wayeza kuthini uYesu?

UYesu waya engcwabeni lakhe. Lalivalwe ngelitye elikhulu. Wathi: ‘Lisuseni ilitye.’ UMarta wathi: ‘Kodwa uneentsuku ezine efile. Umzimba wakhe uza kunuka.’ Kodwa ke, balisusa ilitye waza uYesu wathandaza wathi: ‘Bawo, enkosi ngokundiva. Ndiyayazi ukuba usoloko undiva, kodwa ndithetha ngokuvakalayo ukuze aba bantu bazi ukuba ndithunywe nguwe.’ Wakhwaza wathi: “Lazaro, phuma!” Kwenzeka into emangalisayo: ULazaro waphuma engcwabeni  esabhijelwe ngamalaphu. UYesu wathi: “Mkhululeni nize nimyeke ahambe.”

Abantu abaninzi ababona uLazaro evuswa baba nokholo kuYesu. Kodwa abanye baxelela abaFarisi. Ukususela ngoko, abaFarisi babefuna ukumbulala uLazaro kunye noYesu. UYudas Skariyoti, omnye wabapostile abayi-12, waya kubaFarisi emfihlekweni waza wathi: ‘Niza kundibhatala malini ukuba ndinikhangelisa uYesu?’ Bathi baza kumbhatala amaqhosha esilivere ayi-30, waza uYudas wakhangela ithuba lokubambisa uYesu ngabaFarisi.