Now while Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, they made Him a feast there. And Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those that reclined at table with Him. Then Mary took an alabaster jar of a pound of ointment, pure spikenard, very costly, and breaking the alabaster, she anointed the feet of Jesus, and poured it on His head as He reclined at table. And she wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was about to betray Him, saith, "Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred shillings and given to the poor?" Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the purse, was taking away what was put into it.

Then some other disciples seeing it, became indignant, saying, "Why hath this waste of ointment been made? For this might have been sold for much more than three hundred shillings, and given to the poor." And they upbraided her.

But Jesus perceiving it, said to them, "Let her alone. Why do ye trouble the woman? For she hath wrought a good work on Me. For ye have the poor always with you, and whenever ye wish ye can do them good; but Me ye have not always. For the day of My burial she kept it. She hath done what she could. She hath come beforehand to anoint My body for the burial: for she, in pouring this ointment on My body, did it to prepare Me for burial. And verily I say to you. Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached, in the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her."