⁶ Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,

⁷ There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.

⁸ But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?

⁹ For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.

¹⁰ When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.

¹¹ For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.

¹² For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.

¹³ Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.

12 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.

² There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.

³ Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

⁴ Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him,

⁵ Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

⁶ This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

⁷ Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.

⁸ For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.