Study Desk

^(a)When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples,

"^(b)You know that after two days ^(c)the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be ^(d)handed over for crucifixion."

^(e)Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in ^(f)the court of the high priest, named ^(g)Caiaphas;

and they ^(h)plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him.

But they were saying, "Not during the festival, ⁽ⁱ⁾otherwise a riot might occur among the people."

^(j)Now when Jesus was in ^(k)Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper,

^(l)a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table.

But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, "Why this waste?

For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor."

But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me.

For you always have ^(m)the poor with you; but you do not always have Me.

For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it ⁽ⁿ⁾to prepare Me for burial.

Truly I say to you, ^(o)wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her."

^(p)Then one of the twelve, named ^(q)Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests

and said, "What are you willing to give me ^[a]to ^[b](r)betray Him to you?" And ^(s)they weighed out thirty ^[c]pieces of silver to him.

From then on he began looking for a good opportunity to ^[d]betray ^[e]Jesus.

^(a)Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the ^(b)Passover, was approaching.

The chief priests and the scribes ^(c)were seeking how they might put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people.

^(d)And ^(e)Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, ^[a]belonging to the number of the twelve.

And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and ^(f)officers how he might betray Him to them.

They were glad and agreed to give him money.

So he consented, and began seeking a good opportunity to betray Him to them ^[b]apart from the crowd.

^(a)Jesus, therefore, six days before ^(b)the Passover, came to ^(c)Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.

So they made Him a supper there, and ^(d)Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him.

^(e)Mary then took a ^[a]pound of very costly ^(f)perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But ^(g)Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to ^[b]betray Him, *said,

"Why was this perfume not sold for ^[c]three hundred denarii and given to poor people?"

Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he ^(h)had the money box, he used to pilfer ⁽ⁱ⁾what was put into it.

Therefore Jesus said, "Let her alone, so that she may keep ^[d]it for ^(j)the day of My burial.

^(k)For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me."

The ^(l)large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, ^(m)whom He raised from the dead.

But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also;

because ⁽ⁿ⁾on account of him ^(o)many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus.