³ And when he was in Bethania, in the house of Simon the leper, and was at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of precious spikenard: and breaking the alabaster box, she poured it out upon his head.

⁴ Now there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said: Why was this waste of the ointment made?

⁵ For this ointment might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and given to the poor. And they murmured against her.

⁶ But Jesus said: Let her alone, why do you molest her? She hath wrought a good work upon me.

⁷ For the poor you have always with you: and whensoever you will, you may do them good: but me you have not always.

⁸ She hath done what she could: she is come beforehand to anoint my body for burial.

⁹ Amen, I say to you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that also which she hath done, shall be told for a memorial of her.