₁Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, the man he had raised from death. ₂They prepared a dinner for him there, which Martha helped to serve; Lazarus was one of those who were sitting at the table with Jesus. ₃Then Mary took half a litre of a very expensive perfume made of pure nard, poured it on Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The sweet smell of the perfume filled the whole house. ₄One of Jesus' disciples, Judas Iscariot — the one who was going to betray him — said, ₅“Why wasn't this perfume sold for 300 silver coins and the money given to the poor?” ₆He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. He carried the money bag and would help himself from it.

₇But Jesus said, “Leave her alone! Let her keep what she has for the day of my burial. ₈You will always have poor people with you, but you will not always have me.”