John 12:1-11

Jesus Is Anointed at Bethany

1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.

2 So they made him a dinner there, and Martha was serving, but Lazarus was one of the ones reclining at table with him.

3 Then Mary took a pound of ointment of very valuable genuine nard [and] anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.

4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was going to betray him) said,

5 "{Why} was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?"

6 (Now he said this not because {he was concerned} about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, he used to steal what was put into [it].)

7 So Jesus said, "Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my preparation for burial.

8 For you have the poor with you always, but you do not always have me."

The Decision to Kill Lazarus

9 Now a large crowd of Jews found out that he was there, and they came, not only because of Jesus, but so that they could see Lazarus also, whom he raised from the dead.

10 So the chief priests decided that they would kill Lazarus also,

11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going and believing in Jesus.

Footnotes

• [a]. The Greek term refers to a Roman pound, 327.45 grams (approximately 12 ounces)
• [b]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("took") has been translated as a finite verb
• [c]. Literally "because of what"
• [d]. Literally "it was a concern to him"
• [e]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [f]. Some manuscripts have "the large crowd"