Chapter 12

The Anointing at Bethany.^{(A) 1 [a]}Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.^{(B) 2} They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him.^{(C) 3} Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus^[b] and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.^{(D) 4} Then Judas the Iscariot, one [of] his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said, ⁵ “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages^[c] and given to the poor?” ⁶ He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions.^{(E) 7} So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial.^{[d] 8} You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”^(F)

^38 (A)As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. ^39 [a]She had a sister named Mary [who] sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. ⁴⁰ Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” ⁴¹ The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. ^42 [b]There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

¹⁹ “There was a rich man^[a] who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. ²⁰ And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,^{(A) 21} who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. ²² When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, ²³ and from the netherworld,^[b] where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. ²⁴ And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’ ²⁵ Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.^{(B) 26} Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’ ²⁷ He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, ²⁸ for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ ²⁹ But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ ^30 [c]He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ ³¹ Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’”^(C)