VERSE STUDY • KJV

Mark 14:3-9

³ And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured [it] on his head. ⁴ And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? ⁵ For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. ⁶ And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. ⁷ For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. ⁸ She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. ⁹ Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, [this] also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

Read it in 5 translations

KJV King James Version

³ And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured [it] on his head. ⁴ And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? ⁵ For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. ⁶ And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. ⁷ For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. ⁸ She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. ⁹ Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, [this] also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

BSB Berean Standard Bible

³ While Jesus was in Bethany reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke open the jar and poured it on Jesus’ head. ⁴ Some of those present, however, expressed their indignation to one another: “Why this waste of perfume? ⁵ It could have been sold for over three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her. ⁶ But Jesus said, “Leave her alone; why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful deed to Me. ⁷ The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them whenever you want. But you will not always have Me. ⁸ She has done what she could to anoint My body in advance of My burial. ⁹ And truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

WEB World English Bible

³ While he was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster jar of ointment of pure nard—very costly. She broke the jar, and poured it over his head. ⁴ But there were some who were indignant among themselves, saying, “Why has this ointment been wasted? ⁵ For this might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and given to the poor.” They grumbled against her. ⁶ But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for me. ⁷ For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want to, you can do them good; but you will not always have me. ⁸ She has done what she could. She has anointed my body beforehand for the burying. ⁹ Most certainly I tell you, wherever this Good News may be preached throughout the whole world, that which this woman has done will also be spoken of for a memorial of her.”

ASV American Standard Version

³ And while he was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster cruse of ointment of pure nard very costly; and she brake the cruse, and poured it over his head. ⁴ But there were some that had indignation among themselves, saying, To what purpose hath this waste of the ointment been made? ⁵ For this ointment might have been sold for above three hundred shillings, and given to the poor. And they murmured against her. ⁶ But Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. ⁷ For ye have the poor always with you, and whensoever ye will ye can do them good: but me ye have not always. ⁸ She hath done what she could; she hath anointed my body beforehand for the burying. ⁹ And verily I say unto you, Wheresoever the gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, that also which this woman hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

YLT Young’s Literal Translation

³ And he, being in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, at his reclining (at meat), there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment, of spikenard, very precious, and having broken the alabaster box, did pour on his head; ⁴ and there were certain much displeased within themselves, and saying, ‘For what hath this waste of the ointment been made? ⁵ for this could have been sold for more than three hundred denaries, and given to the poor;’ and they were murmuring at her. ⁶ And Jesus said, ‘Let her alone; why are ye giving her trouble? a good work she wrought on me; ⁷ for the poor always ye have with you, and whenever ye may will ye are able to do them good, but me ye have not always; ⁸ what she could she did, she anticipated to anoint my body for the embalming. ⁹ Verily I say to you, wherever this good news may be proclaimed in the whole world, what also this woman did shall be spoken of—for a memorial of her.’

Surrounding context — Mark 14

1 After two days was [the feast of] the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put [him] to death.

2 But they said, Not on the feast [day], lest there be an uproar of the people.

3 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured [it] on his head.

4 And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?

5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.

6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.

7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.

8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.

9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, [this] also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

10 And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them.

11 And when they heard [it], they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him.

12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?

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