Matthew 26:6-11

English Standard Version

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

⁶^(A)Now when Jesus was at ^(B)Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,^[a] ⁷a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. ⁸And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? ⁹For this could have been sold for a large sum and ^(C)given to the poor.” ¹⁰But ^(D)Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. ¹¹For ^(E)you always have the poor with you, but ^(F)you will not always have me.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Matthew 26:6 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13

Mark 14:3-8

English Standard Version

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

³^(A)And while he was at ^(B)Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,^[a] as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. ⁴There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? ⁵For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii^[b] and ^(C)given to the poor.” And they ^(D)scolded her. ⁶But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ⁷For ^(E)you always have the poor with you, and whenever ^(F)you want, you can do good for them. But ^(G)you will not always have me. ⁸^(H)She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand ^(I)for burial.