1
It was now only two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and teachers of the law were trying to find a trick to arrest Jesus and kill him.
2
But they said, "We must not do it during the feast, because the people might cause a riot."
3
Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon, who had a skin disease. While Jesus was eating there, a woman approached him with an alabaster jar filled with very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She opened the jar and poured the perfume on Jesus' head.
4
Some who were there became upset and said to each other, "Why waste that perfume?
5
It was worth a full year's work. It could have been sold and the money given to the poor." And they got very angry with the woman.
6
Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why are you troubling her? She did an excellent thing for me.
7
You will always have the poor with you, and you can help them anytime you want. But you will not always have me.
8
This woman did the only thing she could do for me; she poured perfume on my body to prepare me for burial.
9
I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached in all the world, what this woman has done will be told, and people will remember her."
10
One of the twelve apostles, Judas Iscariot, went to talk to the leading priests to offer to hand Jesus over to them.
11
These priests were pleased about this and promised to pay Judas money. So he watched for the best time to turn Jesus in.