Mark 12:38-44

English Standard Version

Beware of the Scribes

³⁸^(A)And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces ³⁹and have the best seats in the synagogues and ^(B)the places of honor at feasts, ⁴⁰^(C)who devour widows' houses and ^(D)for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

The Widow's Offering

⁴¹^(E)And he sat down opposite ^(F)the treasury and watched the people ^(G)putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. ⁴²And a poor widow came and put in two ^(H)small copper coins, which make a penny.^[a] ⁴³And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, ^(I)this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. ⁴⁴For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her ^(J)poverty has put in everything she had, all ^(K)she had to live on.”

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Footnotes

Mark 12:42 Greek two lepta, which make a kodrantes; a kodrantes (Latin quadrans) was a Roman copper coin worth about 1/64 of a denarius (which was a day's wage for a laborer)

Psalm 127

English Standard Version

Unless the Lord Builds the House

A Song of ^(A)Ascents. Of Solomon.

127 Unless the Lord builds the house,
    those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord ^(B)watches over the city,
    the watchman stays awake in vain.
²It is in vain that you rise up early
    and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious ^(C)toil;
    for he gives to his ^(D)beloved ^(E)sleep.

³Behold, ^(F)children are a heritage from the Lord,
    ^(G)the fruit of the womb a reward.
⁴Like arrows in the hand of ^(H)a warrior
    are the children^[a] of one's youth.
⁵Blessed is the man
    who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
    when he speaks with his enemies ^(I)in the gate.^[b]