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Mary Anoints Jesus with Costly Perfume

12 (A)Jesus, therefore, six days before (B)the Passover, came to (C)Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they made Him a supper there, and (D)Martha was serving; and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. (E)Mary then took a [a]litra of (F)perfume of very costly pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But (G)Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was going to [b]betray Him, *said, “Why was this perfume not sold for [c]three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he (H)had the money box, he used to take from (I)what was put into it. Therefore Jesus said, “Let her alone, so that she may keep it for (J)the day of My burial. (K)For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.”

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Footnotes

  1. John 12:3 A Roman pound, approx. 12 oz. or 340 gm
  2. John 12:4 Or hand Him over
  3. John 12:5 Approx. 11 months’ wages, a denarius was a laborer’s daily wage

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