John 12

¹Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, the hometown of Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.

²So they hosted a dinner for Jesus there. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with Him.

³Then Mary took about a pint of expensive perfume, made of pure nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

⁴But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was going to betray Him, asked,

⁵“Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?”

⁶Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money bag, he used to take from what was put into it.

⁷“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “She has kept this perfume in preparation for the day of My burial.

⁸The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me.”

⁹Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews learned that Jesus was there. And they came not only because of Him, but also to see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.

¹⁰So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well,

¹¹for on account of him many of the Jews were deserting them and believing in Jesus.

¹²The next day the great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.

¹³They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting: “Hosanna!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!”