The Anointing at Bethany^(A)

⁶ And when Jesus was in ^(B)Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, ⁷ a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. ^8 (C)But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? ⁹ For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”

¹⁰ But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. ^11 (D)For you have the poor with you always, but ^(E)Me you do not have always. ¹² For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My ^(F)burial. ¹³ Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

The Anointing at Bethany^(A)

^3 (B)And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly ^[a]oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. ⁴ But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? ⁵ For it might have been sold for more than three hundred ^(C)denarii and given to the poor.” And they ^(D)criticized^[b] her sharply.

⁶ But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. ^7 (E)For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; ^(F)but Me you do not have always. ⁸ She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. ⁹ Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is ^(G)preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus^(H)

^10 (I)Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. ¹¹ And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.

A Sinful Woman Forgiven

^36 (A)Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. ³⁷ And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, ³⁸ and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. ³⁹ Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, ^(B)“This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

⁴⁰ And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

So he said, “Teacher, say it.”

⁴¹ “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred ^(C)denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴² And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”

⁴³ Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”

And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” ⁴⁴ Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no ^(D)water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. ⁴⁵ You gave Me no ^(E)kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. ^46 (F)You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. ^47 (G)Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

⁴⁸ Then He said to her, ^(H)“Your sins are forgiven.”

⁴⁹ And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, ^(I)“Who is this who even forgives sins?”

⁵⁰ Then He said to the woman, ^(J)“Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

^55 (A)And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to ^(B)purify themselves. ^56 (C)Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, “What do you think—that He will not come to the feast?” ⁵⁷ Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might ^(D)seize Him.

The Anointing at Bethany^(A)

12 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, ^(B)where Lazarus was ^[a]who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. ^2 (C)There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. ³ Then ^(D)Mary took a pound of very costly oil of ^(E)spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

⁴ But one of His disciples, ^(F)Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, ⁵ “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for ^[b]three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” ⁶ This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and ^(G)had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.

⁷ But Jesus said, “Let her alone; ^[c]she has kept this for the day of My burial. ⁸ For ^(H)the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”

The Plot to Kill Lazarus

⁹ Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, ^(I)whom He had raised from the dead. ^10 (J)But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, ^11 (K)because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.