³ Then Mary took about a pint^[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume;^(A) she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair.^(B) 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,^(C) 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,^(D) 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.^{(E) 8} You will always have the poor among you,^[c](F) but you will not always have me.”