⁵⁴ Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea.^(A) Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.

⁵⁵ When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover,^(B) many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing^(C) before the Passover. ⁵⁶ They kept looking for Jesus,^(D) and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” ⁵⁷ But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.

Jesus Anointed at Bethany^(E)

12 Six days before the Passover,^(F) Jesus came to Bethany,^(G) where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ² Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served,^(H) while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. ³ Then Mary took about a pint^[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume;^(I) she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair.^(J) And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

⁴ But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him,^(K) objected, ⁵ “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.^[b]” ⁶ He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag,^(L) he used to help himself to what was put into it.

⁷ “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.^{(M) 8} You will always have the poor among you,^[c](N) but you will not always have me.”