¹And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these words, he said unto his disciples, ²Ye know that after two days the passover cometh, and the Son of man is delivered up to be crucified. ³Then were gathered together the chief priests, and the elders of the people, unto the court of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas; ⁴and they took counsel together that they might take Jesus by subtlety, and kill him. ⁵But they said, Not during the feast, lest a tumult arise among people.

⁶Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, ⁷there came unto him a woman having an alabaster cruse of exceeding precious ointment, and she poured it upon his head, as he sat at meat. ⁸But when the disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? ⁹For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. ¹⁰But Jesus perceiving it said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. ¹¹For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. ¹²For in that she poured this ointment upon my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that also which this woman hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.