³ Then Mary took about a pint^[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume;^(A) she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair.^(B) And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

Towns for the Levites

35 On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho,^(A) the Lord said to Moses, ² “Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in^(B) from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands^(C) around the towns. ³ Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for the cattle they own and all their other animals.^(D)

⁴ “The pasturelands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits^[a] from the town wall. ⁵ Outside the town, measure two thousand cubits^[b](E) on the east side, two thousand on the south side, two thousand on the west and two thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pastureland for the towns.^(F)

Cities of Refuge^(G)

⁶ “Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee.^(H) In addition, give them forty-two other towns. ⁷ In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands. ⁸ The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few.”^(I)

⁹ Then the Lord said to Moses: ¹⁰ “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan,^{(J) 11} select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone^(K) accidentally^(L) may flee. ¹² They will be places of refuge from the avenger,^(M) so that anyone accused of murder^(N) may not die before they stand trial before the assembly.^{(O) 13} These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge.^{(P) 14} Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge. ¹⁵ These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites and for foreigners residing among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.

¹⁶ “‘If anyone strikes someone a fatal blow with an iron object, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death.^{(Q) 17} Or if anyone is holding a stone and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. ¹⁸ Or if anyone is holding a wooden object and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. ¹⁹ The avenger of blood^(R) shall put the murderer to death; when the avenger comes upon the murderer, the avenger shall put the murderer to death.^{(S) 20} If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at them intentionally^(T) so that they die ²¹ or if out of enmity one person hits another with their fist so that the other dies, that person is to be put to death;^(U) that person is a murderer. The avenger of blood^(V) shall put the murderer to death when they meet.

²² “‘But if without enmity someone suddenly pushes another or throws something at them unintentionally^{(W) 23} or, without seeing them, drops on them a stone heavy enough to kill them, and they die, then since that other person was not an enemy and no harm was intended, ²⁴ the assembly^(X) must judge between the accused and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. ²⁵ The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send the accused back to the city of refuge to which they fled. The accused must stay there until the death of the high priest,^(Y) who was anointed^(Z) with the holy oil.^(AA)

²⁶ “‘But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which they fled ²⁷ and the avenger of blood finds them outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder. ²⁸ The accused must stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may they return to their own property.

²⁹ “‘This is to have the force of law^(AB) for you throughout the generations to come,^(AC) wherever you live.^(AD)

³⁰ “‘Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.^(AE)

³¹ “‘Do not accept a ransom^(AF) for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. They are to be put to death.

³² “‘Do not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge and so allow them to go back and live on their own land before the death of the high priest.

³³ “‘Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land,^(AG) and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. ³⁴ Do not defile the land^(AH) where you live and where I dwell,^(AI) for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.’”

Inheritance of Zelophehad’s Daughters^(AJ)

36 The family heads of the clan of Gilead^(AK) son of Makir,^(AL) the son of Manasseh, who were from the clans of the descendants of Joseph,^(AM) came and spoke before Moses and the leaders,^(AN) the heads of the Israelite families. ² They said, “When the Lord commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance to the Israelites by lot,^(AO) he ordered you to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad^(AP) to his daughters. ³ Now suppose they marry men from other Israelite tribes; then their inheritance will be taken from our ancestral inheritance and added to that of the tribe they marry into. And so part of the inheritance allotted to us will be taken away. ⁴ When the Year of Jubilee^(AQ) for the Israelites comes, their inheritance will be added to that of the tribe into which they marry, and their property will be taken from the tribal inheritance of our ancestors.”

⁵ Then at the Lord’s command Moses gave this order to the Israelites: “What the tribe of the descendants of Joseph is saying is right. ⁶ This is what the Lord commands for Zelophehad’s daughters: They may marry anyone they please as long as they marry within their father’s tribal clan. ⁷ No inheritance^(AR) in Israel is to pass from one tribe to another, for every Israelite shall keep the tribal inheritance of their ancestors. ⁸ Every daughter who inherits land in any Israelite tribe must marry someone in her father’s tribal clan,^(AS) so that every Israelite will possess the inheritance of their ancestors. ⁹ No inheritance may pass from one tribe to another, for each Israelite tribe is to keep the land it inherits.”

¹⁰ So Zelophehad’s daughters did as the Lord commanded Moses. ¹¹ Zelophehad’s daughters—Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milkah and Noah^(AT)—married their cousins on their father’s side. ¹² They married within the clans of the descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in their father’s tribe and clan.^(AU)

¹³ These are the commands and regulations the Lord gave through Moses^(AV) to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.^(AW)

Psalm 60^[a](A)

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lily of the Covenant.” A miktam^[b] of David. For teaching. When he fought Aram Naharaim^[c] and Aram Zobah,^[d] and when Joab returned and struck down twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.^(B)

The False Prophet Hananiah

28 In the fifth month of that same year, the fourth year, early in the reign of Zedekiah^(A) king of Judah, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon,^(B) said to me in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and all the people: ² “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will break the yoke^(C) of the king of Babylon. ³ Within two years I will bring back to this place all the articles^(D) of the Lord’s house that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed from here and took to Babylon. ⁴ I will also bring back to this place Jehoiachin^[a](E) son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and all the other exiles from Judah who went to Babylon,’ declares the Lord, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’”^(F)

⁵ Then the prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah before the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord. ⁶ He said, “Amen! May the Lord do so! May the Lord fulfill the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of the Lord’s house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon.^{(G) 7} Nevertheless, listen to what I have to say in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: ⁸ From early times the prophets who preceded you and me have prophesied war, disaster and plague^(H) against many countries and great kingdoms. ⁹ But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord only if his prediction comes true.^(I)”

¹⁰ Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke^(J) off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it, ¹¹ and he said^(K) before all the people, “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations within two years.’” At this, the prophet Jeremiah went on his way.

¹² After the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ¹³ “Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but in its place you will get a yoke of iron. ¹⁴ This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will put an iron yoke^(L) on the necks of all these nations to make them serve^(M) Nebuchadnezzar^(N) king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals.^(O)’”

¹⁵ Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent^(P) you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies.^{(Q) 16} Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to remove you from the face of the earth.^(R) This very year you are going to die,^(S) because you have preached rebellion^(T) against the Lord.’”

¹⁷ In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died.^(U)

Jesus Anointed at Bethany^(A)

12 Six days before the Passover,^(B) Jesus came to Bethany,^(C) where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ² Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served,^(D) while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. ³ Then Mary took about a pint^[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume;^(E) she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair.^(F) And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

⁴ But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him,^(G) objected, ⁵ “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.^[b]” ⁶ He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag,^(H) he used to help himself to what was put into it.

⁷ “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.^{(I) 8} You will always have the poor among you,^[c](J) but you will not always have me.”

⁹ Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.^{(K) 10} So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, ¹¹ for on account of him^(L) many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.^(M)

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King^(N)

¹² The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. ¹³ They took palm branches^(O) and went out to meet him, shouting,

¹⁴ Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

¹⁶ At first his disciples did not understand all this.^(S) Only after Jesus was glorified^(T) did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.

¹⁷ Now the crowd that was with him^(U) when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. ¹⁸ Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign,^(V) went out to meet him. ¹⁹ So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”^(W)