John 11:53–12:3

⁵³So from that day on they planned to put him to death.^*

⁵⁴Jesus therefore no longer walked about openly among the Jews but went from there to a town called Ephraim in the region near the wilderness, and he remained there with the disciples.^*

⁵⁵Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves.^{* 56}They were looking for Jesus and were asking one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? Surely he will not come to the festival, will he?” ⁵⁷Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus^d was should let them know, so that they might arrest him.

Mary Anoints Jesus

¹²Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.^{* 2}There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him.^{* 3}Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’s feet, and wiped them^e with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.^*