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41 Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and saw how the multitude cast money into the treasury. Many who were rich cast in much. 42 A poor widow came, and she cast in two small brass coins,[a] which equal a quadrans coin.[b] 43 He called his disciples to himself, and said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, this poor widow gave more than all those who are giving into the treasury, 44 for they all gave out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live on.”

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Footnotes

  1. 12:42 literally, lepta (or widow’s mites). Lepta are very small brass coins worth half a quadrans each, which is a quarter of the copper assarion. Lepta are worth less than 1% of an agricultural worker’s daily wages.
  2. 12:42 A quadrans is a coin worth about 1/64 of a denarius. A denarius is about one day’s wages for an agricultural laborer.

A Poor Widow’s Offering

41 And he sat down opposite the contribution box and[a] was observing how the crowd was putting coins into the contribution box. And many rich people were putting in many coins.[b] 42 And one poor widow came and[c] put in two small copper coins[d] (that is, a penny).[e] 43 And summoning his disciples, he said to them, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow put in more than all those who put offerings[f] into the contribution box. 44 For they all contributed[g] out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in everything she had, her whole means of subsistence.”

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 12:41 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“sat down”) has been translated as a finite verb
  2. Mark 12:41 Although often translated “large sums,” the plural here suggests large numbers of individual coins, which would make an impressive noise
  3. Mark 12:42 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb
  4. Mark 12:42 This coin was the lepton, worth 1/128 of a denarius
  5. Mark 12:42 This coin was the quadrans, the smallest Roman coin, worth 2 lepta
  6. Mark 12:43 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  7. Mark 12:44 Literally “put in”