Death Plot and Anointing

14 (A)Now (B)the Passover and Festival of Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes (C)were seeking how to arrest Him covertly and kill Him; for they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise there will be a riot of the people.”

(D)While He was in (E)Bethany at the home of Simon [a]the Leper, He was reclining at the table, and a woman came with an alabaster vial of very (F)expensive perfume of pure [b]nard. She broke the vial and poured the perfume over His head. But there were some indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted? For this perfume could have been sold for over three hundred [c]denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they were scolding her. But Jesus said, “Leave her alone! Why are you bothering her? She has done a good deed for Me. For you always have (G)the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. She has done what she could; (H)she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. Truly I say to you, (I)wherever the gospel is preached in the entire world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.”

10 (J)Then Judas Iscariot, (K)who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to [d]betray Him to them. 11 They were delighted when they heard this, and promised to give him money. And he began seeking how to betray Him at an opportune time.

The Last Passover

12 (L)On the first day of [e](M)Unleavened Bread, when [f]the Passover lamb was being (N)sacrificed, His disciples *said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?” 13 And He *sent two of His disciples and *said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you; follow him; 14 and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is My (O)guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ 15 And he himself will show you a large upstairs room furnished and ready; prepare for us there.” 16 The disciples left and came to the city, and found everything just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

17 (P)When it was evening He *came with the twelve. 18 And as they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will [g]betray Me—[h]one who is eating with Me.” 19 They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, “Surely not I?” 20 But He said to them, It is one of the twelve, the one who dips bread with Me in the bowl. 21 For the Son of Man is going away just as it is written about Him; but woe to that man [i]by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good [j]for that man if he had not been born.”

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 14:3 I.e., a nickname; the man no doubt was cured
  2. Mark 14:3 An aromatic oil extracted from an East Indian plant
  3. Mark 14:5 The denarius was a day’s wages for a laborer
  4. Mark 14:10 Or hand Him over
  5. Mark 14:12 I.e., Passover week
  6. Mark 14:12 Lit they were sacrificing
  7. Mark 14:18 Or deliver Me over
  8. Mark 14:18 Or the one
  9. Mark 14:21 Or through
  10. Mark 14:21 Lit for him if that man had not

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

14 It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”

Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating,[a] a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head.

Some of those at the table were indignant. “Why waste such expensive perfume?” they asked. “It could have been sold for a year’s wages[b] and the money given to the poor!” So they scolded her harshly.

But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were delighted when they heard why he had come, and they promised to give him money. So he began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

The Last Supper

12 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go to prepare the Passover meal for you?”

13 So Jesus sent two of them into Jerusalem with these instructions: “As you go into the city, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 At the house he enters, say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ 15 He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.” 16 So the two disciples went into the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.

17 In the evening Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 As they were at the table[c] eating, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, one of you eating with me here will betray me.”

19 Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one?”

20 He replied, “It is one of you twelve who is eating from this bowl with me. 21 For the Son of Man[d] must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”

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Footnotes

  1. 14:3 Or reclining.
  2. 14:5 Greek for 300 denarii. A denarius was equivalent to a laborer’s full day’s wage.
  3. 14:18 Or As they reclined.
  4. 14:21 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.