Mark 14:1-15 ▼

1 Now it was two days before the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The high priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus secretly and to have him put to death,

2 because they kept saying, |This must not happen during the festival. Otherwise, there'll be a riot among the people.|

3 While Jesus was in Bethany sitting at the table in the home of Simon the leper, a woman arrived with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume made from pure nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

4 Irritated, some who were there asked one another, |Why was the perfume wasted like this?

5 This perfume could have been sold for more than 300 denarii and the money given to the destitute.| So they got extremely angry with her.

6 But Jesus said, |Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me,

7 because you'll always have the destitute with you and can help them whenever you want, but you won't always have me.

8 She has done what she could. She poured perfume on my body in preparation for my burial.

9 I tell all of you with certainty, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told as a memorial to her.|

10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the high priests to betray Jesus to them.

11 After they had listened to him, they were delighted and promised to give him money. So he began to look for a good opportunity to betray him.

12 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, Jesus' disciples asked him, |Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover meal?|

13 He sent two of his disciples, telling them, |Go into the city, and you will meet a man carrying a jug of water. Follow him.

14 When he goes into a house, say to its owner that the Teacher asks, 'Where is my room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?'

15 Then he will show you a large upstairs room that is furnished and ready. Get everything ready for us there.|