Scriptures

New Living Translation (NLT)

Mark 13
³⁴ “The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return.
³⁵ You, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak.
³⁶ Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning.
³⁷ I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for him!”
Mark 14
¹ It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and kill him.
² “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”
³ Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head.
⁴ Some of those at the table were indignant. “Why waste such expensive perfume?” they asked.
⁵ “It could have been sold for a year’s wages and the money given to the poor!” So they scolded her harshly.
⁶ But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me?
⁷ You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me.