Mary Anoints Jesus at Bethany

12 Six days before (A)the Passover, (B)Jesus therefore came to Bethany, (C)where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. (D)Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. (E)Mary therefore took a pound[a] of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii[b] and (F)given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and (G)having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it[c] for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

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Footnotes

  1. John 12:3 Greek litra; a litra (or Roman pound) was equal to about 11 1/2 ounces or 327 grams
  2. John 12:5 A denarius was a day's wage for a laborer
  3. John 12:7 Or Leave her alone; she intended to keep it

Mary Anoints Jesus(A)

12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived in Bethany, where Lazarus lived,[a] the man whom Jesus had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a litron[b] of very expensive perfume made of pure nard and anointed Jesus’ feet. She wiped his feet with her hair, and the house became filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, who was going to betray him, asked, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for 300 denarii[c] and the money[d] given to the destitute?” He said this, not because he cared about the destitute, but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the moneybag and would steal what was put into it.

Then Jesus said, “Leave her alone so she can observe the day of my burial, because you will always have the destitute with you, but you won’t always have me.”

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Footnotes

  1. John 12:1 Lit. was
  2. John 12:3 I.e. about twelve ounces; the Gk. litron weighed about 12 ounces
  3. John 12:5 Three hundred denarii was about a year’s wages for a laborer.
  4. John 12:5 The Gk. lacks the money