Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

David wrote this song. He asks God to bless the Temple.

Thank you, Lord^[a]

²¹ If the person is poor, he must bring one young male sheep. And he must bring a tenth of an ephah of flour (about 2 litres) mixed with oil. And he must give a cup of olive oil. The priest must lift them to the Lord. ²² The person must also bring two birds. They must be doves or pigeons. These will be his gift. One bird is for a sin offering and the other one is for a burnt offering.

²³ On the eighth day, the person must bring his gifts to the Lord. He must bring them to the door of the Tent of Meeting. ²⁴ The priest will take the young sheep and the oil and he will lift them up to the Lord. ²⁵ He will kill the sheep. He will put some of its blood on the lowest part of the person's ear. He will put the blood on the thumb of the person's right hand. He will put the blood on the big toe of the person's right foot. ²⁶ The priest will pour some of the oil into his own left hand. ²⁷ He will put a finger from his right hand into the oil. He will shake it seven times in front of the Lord's altar. ²⁸ He will put oil from his hand on the lowest part of the person's ear. He will also put oil on the thumb of the person's right hand. He will put oil on the big toe of the person's right foot. ²⁹ The priest will put the oil that he did not use on the person's head. Then the Lord can see that he is clean. ³⁰ The priest will kill the pigeons or doves. ³¹ One bird is for a sin offering. The priest will burn the other bird with the grain offering. This is how the priest will make atonement in front of the Lord. He will do it for the person who was not clean.

³² These are the rules for a person who had a disease in his skin. They are for a disease that he might give to other people. They are for people who are too poor to buy three sheep.’

A woman pours beautiful oil on Jesus' head

⁶ Then Jesus went to Bethany and he visited Simon at his house. At one time, Simon had had a bad disease of the skin.^[a]

⁷ While Jesus was eating a meal there, a woman came into the house. She brought a small stone jar with her. The jar contained expensive oil with a very nice smell.^[b] She poured the oil over Jesus' head while he sat there.

⁸ Jesus' disciples saw what the woman had done. They became angry and they said, ‘This woman should not have wasted the oil. ⁹ She could have sold it for a lot of money. Then she could have given the money to poor people.’

¹⁰ Jesus knew what his disciples were saying. So he said to them, ‘Do not cause trouble for her. She has done a good thing to me. ¹¹ You will always have poor people with you. But you will not always have me with you. ¹² She has poured oil over my body. So now I will be ready for people to bury me. ¹³ I tell you this: Everywhere in the world people will speak about this good news. At the same time, they will also tell people about the good thing that this woman has done. And so people will remember her.’