Matthew 26:1–75

¹Now when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples:²“YOU​ know that two days from now the passover occurs, and the Son of man is to be delivered up to be impaled.”

³Then the chief priests and the older men of the people gathered together in the courtyard of the high priest who was called Ca′ia‧phas,⁴and took counsel together to seize Jesus by crafty device and kill him.⁵However, they kept saying: “Not at the festival, in order that no uproar may arise among the people.”

⁶While Jesus happened to be in Beth′a‧ny in the house of Simon the leper,⁷a woman with an alabaster case of costly perfumed oil approached him, and she began pouring it upon his head as he was reclining at the table.⁸On seeing this the disciples became indignant and said: “Why this waste?⁹For this could have been sold for a great deal and been given to poor people.”¹⁰Aware of this, Jesus said to them: “Why do ​YOU​ try to make trouble for the woman? For she did a fine deed toward me.¹¹For ​YOU​ always have the poor with ​YOU, but ​YOU​ will not always have me.¹²For when this woman put this perfumed oil upon my body, she did it for the preparation of me for burial.¹³Truly I say to ​YOU, Wherever this good news is preached in all the world, what this woman did shall also be told as a remembrance of her.”

¹⁴Then one of the twelve, the one called Judas Is‧car′i‧ot, went to the chief priests¹⁵and said: “What will ​YOU​ give me to betray him to ​YOU?” They stipulated to him thirty silver pieces.¹⁶So from then on he kept seeking a good opportunity to betray him.

¹⁷On the first day of the unfermented cakes the disciples came up to Jesus, saying: “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the passover?”¹⁸He said: “Go into the city to So‐and‐so and say to him, The Teacher says, ‘My appointed time is near; I will celebrate the passover with my disciples at your home.’”¹⁹And the disciples did as Jesus ordered them, and they got things ready for the passover.

²⁰When, now, it had become evening, he was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples.²¹While they were eating, he said: “Truly I say to ​YOU, One of ​YOU​ will betray me.”²²Being very much grieved at this, they commenced each and every one to say to him: “Lord, it is not I, is it?”²³In reply he said: “He that dips his hand with me in the bowl is the one that will betray me.²⁴True, the Son of man is going away, just as it is written concerning him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been finer for him if that man had not been born.”²⁵By way of reply Judas, who was about to betray him, said: “It is not I, is it, Rabbi?” He said to him: “You yourself said [it].”

²⁶As they continued eating, Jesus took a loaf and, after saying a blessing, he broke it and, giving it to the disciples, he said: “TAKE, eat. This means my body.”²⁷Also, he took a cup and, having given thanks, he gave it to them, saying: “Drink out of it, all of ​YOU;²⁸for this means my ‘blood of the covenant,’ which is to be poured out in behalf of many for forgiveness of sins.²⁹But I tell ​YOU, I will by no means drink henceforth any of this product of the vine until that day when I drink it new with ​YOU​ in the kingdom of my Father.”³⁰Finally, after singing praises, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

³¹Then Jesus said to them: “All of ​YOU​ will be stumbled in connection with me on this night, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered about.’³²But after I have been raised up, I will go ahead of ​YOU​ into Gal′i‧lee.”³³But Peter, in answer, said to him: “Although all the others are stumbled in connection with you, never will I be stumbled!”³⁴Jesus said to him: “Truly I say to you, On this night, before a cock crows, you will disown me three times.”³⁵Peter said to him: “Even if I should have to die with you, I will by no means disown you.” All the other disciples also said the same thing.

³⁶Then Jesus came with them to the spot called Geth‧sem′a‧ne, and he said to the disciples: “Sit down here while I go over there and pray.”³⁷And taking along Peter and the two sons of Zeb′e‧dee, he started to be grieved and to be sorely troubled.³⁸Then he said to them: “My soul is deeply grieved, even to death. Stay here and keep on the watch with me.”³⁹And going a little way forward, he fell upon his face, praying and saying: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me. Yet, not as I will, but as you will.”

⁴⁰And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter: “Could ​YOU​ men not so much as watch one hour with me?⁴¹Keep on the watch and pray continually, that ​YOU​ may not enter into temptation. The spirit, of course, is eager, but the flesh is weak.”⁴²Again, for the second time, he went off and prayed, saying: “My Father, if it is not possible for this to pass away except I drink it, let your will take place.”⁴³And he came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.⁴⁴So leaving them, he again went off and prayed for the third time, saying once more the same word.⁴⁵Then he came to the disciples and said to them: “At such a time as this ​YOU​ are sleeping and taking ​YOUR​ rest! Look! The hour has drawn near for the Son of man to be betrayed into the hands of sinners.⁴⁶Get up, let us go. Look! My betrayer has drawn near.”⁴⁷And while he was yet speaking, look! Judas, one of the twelve, came and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs from the chief priests and older men of the people.

⁴⁸Now his betrayer had given them a sign, saying: “Whoever it is I kiss, this is he; take him into custody.”⁴⁹And going straight up to Jesus he said: “Good day, Rabbi!” and kissed him very tenderly.⁵⁰But Jesus said to him: “Fellow, for what purpose are you present?” Then they came forward and laid hands on Jesus and took him into custody.⁵¹But, look! one of those with Jesus reached out his hand and drew his sword and struck the slave of the high priest and took off his ear.⁵²Then Jesus said to him: “Return your sword to its place, for all those who take the sword will perish by the sword.⁵³Or do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father to supply me at this moment more than twelve legions of angels?⁵⁴In that case, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must take place this way?”⁵⁵In that hour Jesus said to the crowds: “Have ​YOU​ come out with swords and clubs as against a robber to arrest me? Day after day I used to sit in the temple teaching, and yet ​YOU​ did not take me into custody.⁵⁶But all this has taken place for the scriptures of the prophets to be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples abandoned him and fled.

⁵⁷Those who took Jesus into custody led him away to Ca′ia‧phas the high priest, where the scribes and the older men were gathered together.⁵⁸But Peter kept following him at a good distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and, after going inside, he was sitting with the house attendants to see the outcome.

⁵⁹Meantime the chief priests and the entire San′he‧drin were looking for false witness against Jesus in order to put him to death,⁶⁰but they found none, although many false witnesses came forward. Later on two came forward⁶¹and said: “This man said, ‘I am able to throw down the temple of God and build it up in three days.’”⁶²With that the high priest stood up and said to him: “Have you no answer? What is it these are testifying against you?”⁶³But Jesus kept silent. So the high priest said to him: “By the living God I put you under oath to tell us whether you are the Christ the Son of God!”⁶⁴Jesus said to him: “You yourself said [it]. Yet I say to ​YOU​ men, From henceforth ​YOU​ will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”⁶⁵Then the high priest ripped his outer garments, saying: “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? See! Now ​YOU​ have heard the blasphemy.⁶⁶What is ​YOUR​ opinion?” They returned answer: “He is liable to death.”⁶⁷Then they spit into his face and hit him with their fists. Others slapped him in the face,⁶⁸saying: “Prophesy to us, you Christ. Who is it that struck you?”

⁶⁹Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard; and a servant girl came up to him, saying: “You, too, were with Jesus the Gal‧i‧le′an!”⁷⁰But he denied it before them all, saying: “I do not know what you are talking about.”⁷¹After he had gone out to the gatehouse, another girl noticed him and said to those there: “This man was with Jesus the Naz‧a‧rene′.”⁷²And again he denied it, with an oath: “I do not know the man!”⁷³After a little while those standing around came up and said to Peter: “Certainly you also are one of them, for, in fact, your dialect gives you away.”⁷⁴Then he started to curse and swear: “I do not know the man!” And immediately a cock crowed.⁷⁵And Peter called to mind the saying Jesus spoke, namely: “Before a cock crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.