Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A psalm of David. A song for setting apart the completed temple to God.

²¹ “But suppose they are poor. Suppose they can’t afford all these offerings. Then they must bring one male lamb as a guilt offering. It must be lifted up and waved in front of me to pay for their sin. They must also bring three and a half pounds of the finest flour along with the lamb. They must mix the flour with olive oil. It is a grain offering. They must offer it along with 11 ounces of oil. ²² They must also bring two doves or two young pigeons that they can afford. One is for a sin offering. The other is for a burnt offering.

²³ “On the eighth day they must bring them to the priest so they can be made ‘clean.’ They must bring them to the entrance to the tent of meeting. They must do it in my sight. ²⁴ The priest must take the lamb for the guilt offering. He must take it together with the 11 ounces of oil. He must lift all of it up and wave it in front of me as a wave offering. ²⁵ He must kill the lamb for the guilt offering. He must take some of its blood and put it on the person’s right earlobe. He must put some on the thumb of their right hand. He must also put some on the big toe of their right foot. ²⁶ The priest must pour some of the oil into his own left hand. ²⁷ He must dip his right forefinger into the oil in his hand. He must use his finger to sprinkle some of it seven times in front of me. ²⁸ Here is what he must do with some of the oil in his hand. He must put it on the same places where he put the blood of the guilt offering. He must put some on the person’s right earlobe. He must put some on the thumb of their right hand. He must also put some on the big toe of their right foot. ²⁹ He must put on their head the rest of the oil in his hand. It will pay for the person’s sin in my sight. ³⁰ The priest will sacrifice the doves or the young pigeons that the person can afford. ³¹ One is for a sin offering. The other is for a burnt offering. The priest must offer them together with the grain offering. In that way he will pay for the person’s sin in my sight. He will do it to make them ‘clean.’ ”

³² These are the rules for anyone who has a skin disease. They are for people who can’t afford the regular offerings that are required to make them “clean.”

A Woman Pours Perfume on Jesus

⁶ Jesus was in Bethany. He was in the home of Simon, who had a skin disease. ⁷ A woman came to Jesus with a special sealed jar of very expensive perfume. She poured the perfume on his head while he was at the table.

⁸ When the disciples saw this, they became angry. “Why this waste?” they asked. ⁹ “The perfume could have been sold at a high price. The money could have been given to poor people.”

¹⁰ Jesus was aware of this. So he said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ¹¹ You will always have poor people with you. But you will not always have me. ¹² She poured the perfume on my body to prepare me to be buried. ¹³ What I’m about to tell you is true. What she has done will be told anywhere this good news is preached all over the world. It will be told in memory of her.”