1 Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and kill [Him];
2 for they were saying, |Not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the people.|
3 While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining [at the table], there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; [and] she broke the vial and poured it over His head.
4 But some were indignantly [remarking] to one another, |Why has this perfume been wasted?
5 |For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and [the money] given to the poor.| And they were scolding her.
6 But Jesus said, |Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me.
7 |For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me.
8 |She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.
9 |Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.|
10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them.
11 They were glad when they heard [this], and promised to give him money. And he [began] seeking how to betray Him at an opportune time.
12 On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover [lamb] was being sacrificed, His disciples said to Him, |Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?|
13 And He sent two of His disciples and said to them, |Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him;
14 and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher says, |Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?|'
15 |And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished [and] ready; prepare for us there.|
16 The disciples went out and came to the city, and found [it] just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.
