Mark 14:3-9

Contemporary English Version

At Bethany

(Matthew 26.6-13; John 12.1-8)

^3 (A) Jesus was eating in Bethany at the home of Simon, who once had leprosy,^[a] when a woman came in with a very expensive bottle of sweet-smelling perfume.^[b] After breaking it open, she poured the perfume on Jesus' head. ⁴ This made some of the guests angry, and they complained, “Why such a waste? ⁵ We could have sold this perfume for more than 300 silver coins and given the money to the poor!” So they started saying cruel things to the woman.

⁶ But Jesus said:

Leave her alone! Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me. ^7 (B) You will always have the poor with you. And whenever you want to, you can give to them. But you won't always have me here with you. ⁸ She has done all she could by pouring perfume on my body to prepare it for burial. ⁹ You may be sure that wherever the good news is told all over the world, people will remember what she has done. And they will tell others.