In Praise of Living in Peace^[a]

⁷ Young people who obey the law are intelligent. Those who make friends with good-for-nothings are a disgrace to their parents.

⁸ If you get rich by charging interest and taking advantage of people, your wealth will go to someone who is kind to the poor.

Jesus Is Anointed at Bethany^(A)

12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, the man he had raised from death. ² They prepared a dinner for him there, which Martha helped serve; Lazarus was one of those who were sitting at the table with Jesus. ^3 (B)Then Mary took a whole pint of a very expensive perfume made of pure nard, poured it on Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The sweet smell of the perfume filled the whole house. ⁴ One of Jesus' disciples, Judas Iscariot—the one who was going to betray him—said, ⁵ “Why wasn't this perfume sold for three hundred silver coins^[a] and the money given to the poor?” ⁶ He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. He carried the money bag and would help himself from it.

⁷ But Jesus said, “Leave her alone! Let her keep what she has for the day of my burial. ^8 (C)You will always have poor people with you, but you will not always have me.”

The Plot against Lazarus

⁹ A large number of people heard that Jesus was in Bethany, so they went there, not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from death. ¹⁰ So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus too, ¹¹ because on his account many Jews were rejecting them and believing in Jesus.

Worship in Heaven

4 At this point I had another vision and saw an open door in heaven.

And the voice that sounded like a trumpet, which I had heard speaking to me before, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” ^2 (A)At once the Spirit took control of me. There in heaven was a throne with someone sitting on it. ³ His face gleamed like such precious stones as jasper and carnelian, and all around the throne there was a rainbow the color of an emerald. ⁴ In a circle around the throne were twenty-four other thrones, on which were seated twenty-four elders dressed in white and wearing crowns of gold. ^5 (B)From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. In front of the throne seven lighted torches were burning, which are the seven spirits of God.