Anointed at Bethany

1The Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days away. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how, by deceit, they might arrest him and kill him,

2For they were saying, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.”

3And while he was in Bethany, reclining at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive pure nard perfume; she broke the jar and poured it on his head.

4But some were indignant among themselves: “Why has this waste of the perfume happened?”

5For this perfume could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her.

6But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you troubling her? She has done a beautiful work for me.”

7For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you are able to do good to them; but you do not always have me.

8She did what she could; she anointed my body beforehand for burial.

9Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.

10And Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests in order to hand him over to them.

11When they heard it, they rejoiced and promised to give him money. And he began seeking how he might betray him at an opportune time.