The Precious Ointment

^6 (A)Now when Jesus was in ^(B)Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, ^7 (C)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. ⁸ But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste? ⁹ For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” ¹⁰ But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. ¹¹ For you always have ^(D)the poor with you; but you do not always have Me. ¹² For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it ^(E)to prepare Me for burial. ¹³ Truly I say to you, ^(F)wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”

^3 (A)While He was in ^(B)Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very ^(C)costly perfume of pure ^[a]nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head. ⁴ But some were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted? ⁵ For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred ^[b]denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they were scolding her. ⁶ But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. ⁷ For you always have ^(D)the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. ⁸ She has done what she could; ^(E)she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. ⁹ Truly I say to you, ^(F)wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”

^37 (A)And there was a woman in the city who was a ^[a]sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, ³⁸ and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. ³⁹ Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were ^(B)a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a ^[b]sinner.”