1
It was now two days before the Passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread, and the High Priests and Scribes were bent on finding how to seize Him by stratagem and put Him to death.
2
But they said, "Not on the Festival-day, for fear there should be a riot among the people."
3
Now when He was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the Leper, while He was at table, there came a woman with a jar of pure, sweet-scented ointment very costly: she broke the jar and poured the ointment over His head.
4
But there were some who said indignantly among themselves, "Why has the ointment been thus wasted?
5
For that ointment might have been sold for fifteen pounds or more, and the money have been given to the poor." And they were exceedingly angry with her.
6
But Jesus said, "Leave her alone: why are you troubling her? She has done a most gracious act towards me.
7
For you always have the poor among you, and whenever you choose you can do acts of kindness to them; but me you have not always.
8
What she could she did: she has perfumed my body in preparation for my burial.
9
And I solemnly tell you that wherever in the whole world the Good News shall be proclaimed, this which she has done shall also be told in remembrance of her."
10
But Judas Iscariot, already mentioned as one of the Twelve, went to the High Priests to betray Jesus to them.
11
They gladly listened to his proposal, and promised to give him a sum of money. So he looked out for an opportunity to betray Him.