The Anointing at Bethany

12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany(A) where Lazarus[a] was, the one Jesus had raised from the dead.(B) So(C) they gave a dinner for him there; Martha(D) was serving them, and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took a pound of perfume, pure and expensive nard, anointed Jesus’s feet, and wiped his feet with her hair.(E) So the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

Then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot(F) (who was about to betray him), said, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii[b](G) and given to the poor?” He didn’t say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief.(H) He was in charge of the money-bag and would steal part of what was put in it.

Jesus answered, “Leave her alone; she has kept it for the day of my burial.(I) For you always have the poor with you,(J) but you do not always have me.”

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Footnotes

  1. 12:1 Other mss read Lazarus who died
  2. 12:5 A denarius = one day’s wage

Jesus Is Anointed at Bethany

12 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they made him a dinner there, and Martha was serving, but Lazarus was one of the ones reclining at table with him. Then Mary took a pound[a] of ointment of very valuable genuine nard and[b] anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was going to betray him) said, Why[c] was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” (Now he said this not because he was concerned[d] about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, he used to steal what was put into it.)[e] So Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my preparation for burial. For you have the poor with you always, but you do not always have me.”

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Footnotes

  1. John 12:3 The Greek term refers to a Roman pound, 327.45 grams (approximately 12 ounces)
  2. John 12:3 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“took”) has been translated as a finite verb
  3. John 12:5 Literally “because of what”
  4. John 12:6 Literally “it was a concern to him”
  5. John 12:6 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation