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

¹⁷ He left them, and went out of the city to Bethany, and lodged there.

³ While he was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster jar of ointment of pure nard-- very costly. She broke the jar, and poured it over his head.

⁴ But there were some who were indignant among themselves, saying, "Why has this ointment been wasted?

⁵ For this might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii,{300 denarii was about a years wages for an agricultural laborer.} and given to the poor." They grumbled against her.

⁶ But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for me.

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

⁸ She has done what she could. She has anointed my body beforehand for the burying.

⁹ Most assuredly I tell you, wherever this Gospel may be preached throughout the whole world, that which this woman has done will also be spoken of for a memorial of her."

³⁷ Behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that he was reclining in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of ointment.

³⁸ Standing behind at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

³⁹ Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, "This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what kind of woman this is who touches him, that she is a sinner."

¹ Then six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.

² So they made him a supper there. Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with him.

³ Mary, therefore, took a pound{a Roman pound of 12 ounces, or about 340 grams} of ointment of pure nard, very precious, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.

⁴ Then Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, one of his disciples, who would betray him, said,

⁵ "Why wasn't this ointment sold for three hundred denarii,{300 denarii was about a year's wages for an agricultural laborer.} and given to the poor?"

⁶ Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, used to steal what was put into it.

⁷ But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She has kept this for the day of my burial.

⁸ For you always have the poor with you, but you don't always have me."

¹² The next day, when they had come out from Bethany, he was hungry.

¹ Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus from Bethany, of the village of Mary and her sister, Martha.

² It was that Mary who had anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother, Lazarus, was sick.