[1] When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, [2] “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” [3] Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, [4] and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. [5] “But not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.” [6] While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, [7] a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. [8] When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. [9] “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” [10] Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. [11] The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. [12] When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. [13] Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
