^6 (A)Now when Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, ⁷ a woman came up to him with an alabaster jar of costly perfumed oil, and poured it on his head while he was reclining at table. ⁸ When the disciples saw this, they were indignant and said, “Why this waste? ⁹ It could have been sold for much, and the money given to the poor.” ¹⁰ Since Jesus knew this, he said to them, “Why do you make trouble for the woman? She has done a good thing for me. ^11 (B)The poor you will always have with you; but you will not always have me. ^12 [a]In pouring this perfumed oil upon my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³ Amen, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be spoken of, in memory of her.”

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)