¹¹ After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus ^(A)has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” ¹² The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” ¹³ Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep.

⁶⁰ And ^(A)falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, ^(B)“Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, ^(C)he fell asleep.

³⁶ For David, after he had ^(A)served the purpose of God in his own generation, ^(B)fell asleep and ^(C)was laid with his fathers and saw corruption,

⁶ Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.

¹⁸ Then those also who ^(A)have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

²⁰ But in fact ^(A)Christ has been raised from the dead, ^(B)the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

The Coming of the Lord

¹³ But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, ^(A)that you may not grieve as others do ^(B)who have no hope. ¹⁴ For ^(C)since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him ^(D)those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you ^(E)by a word from the Lord,^[a] that ^(F)we who are alive, who are left until ^(G)the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

^4 (A)They will say, “Where is the promise of ^(B)his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”