Matthew

26 And when Jesus had finished all these words he said to his disciples 2 “You know that in two days the passover comes, and the Son of Man is given to the executioners to be crucified.” 3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people met in the court of the house of the high priest, who was known as Caiaphas, 4 and planned together to seize Jesus by trickery and kill him; 5 but they said “Not during the feast, so that there will not be a disturbance among the people.”

6 And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman with an alabaster vial of high-priced perfume approached him and poured it on his head while he was at the table. 8 And the disciples took offense at the sight, saying “Why this waste? 9 for this could have been sold for a good deal and given to poor people.” 10 And Jesus, finding it out, said to them “Why are you worrying the woman? for she has done a good deed to me; 11 for you always have the poor with you, but me you do not always have. 12 For she, in putting this perfume on my body, has done this toward burying me. 13 I tell you verily, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she did shall also be spoken of for a memorial of her.” 14 Then one of the twelve, he who was known as Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said “What will you give me to put him into your hands?” and they weighed to him thirty pieces of silver, 16 and from that time on he was looking for a good opportunity to put him into their hands.

17 And on the first day of matzoth-time the disciples approached Jesus saying “Where will you have us make the preparations for you to eat the passover?” 18 and he said “Go into the city to such a man and say to him ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near; I am keeping the passover at your house with my disciples.”’” 19 And the disciples did as Jesus directed them to, and got ready the passover; 20 and when evening came, he came to the table with his twelve disciples.

21 And while they were eating he said “I tell you verily that one of you will have me arrested.” 22 And, greatly pained, they began each one to say to him “Am I the one, sir?” 23 And he answered “He who dipped his hand in the dish with me, he will have me arrested. 24 The Son of Man goes as is written of him; but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is put under arrest! it would have been well for that man if he had not been born.” 25 And Judas, who was to have him arrested, answered him “Am I the one, Rabbi?” He said to him “As you say.”

26 And while they were eating Jesus took a cake of bread, and spoke the blessing and broke it, and, giving it to the disciples, said “Take this and eat it; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup and gave thanks over it and gave it to them, saying “Drink of it, all of you; 28 for this is my covenant blood poured out for many to the pardoning of sins. 29 But I tell you, henceforth I will not drink of this produce of the vine till that day when I drink it new in my Father’s reign with you.”

30 And they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives. 31 Then Jesus said to them “You will be staggered over me this night all of you; for it is written ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will scatter’; 32 but after my rising I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 33 But Peter answered him “If everybody will be staggered over you, I never will be staggered.” 34 Jesus said to him “I tell you verily that this night, before a cock has crowed, you will disown me three times.” 35 Said Peter to him “Even if I have to die with you I will not disown you”; and so said all the disciples.

36 Then Jesus came with them to an enclosure known as Gethsemane, and said to the disciples “Sit here while I go there and pray.” 37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be unhappy and uneasy; 38 then he said to them “My soul is sad, deathly sad; stay here and keep awake with me”; 39 and he went a little further and threw himself down on his face praying “Father, if it is possible let this cup pass away from me; yet not as I will but as you will.” 40 And he came to the disciples and found them asleep, and said to Peter “Were you so unable to keep awake with me one moment? 41* Keep awake and pray, that you may not fall under temptation: the spirit is enthusiastic but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again he went away for the second time and prayed “Father, if this cannot pass away without my drinking it, your will be done.” 43 And he came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. 44 And he left them and went away again and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 45* Then he came to the disciples and said to them “Well, then, sleep and rest; the moment is close at hand, and the Son of Man is to be given up into the hands of sinners— 46 rise, let us be going; here is the one who gives me up to them, close at hand.”

47 And while he was still speaking, in came Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and sticks from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 And the one who was giving him up had given them a sign, telling them “Whichever I kiss is he; take him.” 49 And at once he went up to Jesus and said “Good evening, Rabbi,” and went to kissing him. 50 But Jesus said to him “What you are here for, comrade!” Then they came up and put their hands on him and took him. 51 And lo, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew his sword and hit the high priest’s servant and took off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to him “Put your sword back in its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Or do you think I cannot appeal to my Father and have him furnish me more than twelve brigades of angels now? 54 so how are the Scriptures to be fulfilled, that it must be this way?” 55 At the same time Jesus said to the crowds “You come out as if it were against a robber, with swords and sticks, to arrest me; I had been sitting in the temple-precinct day by day teaching, and you did not take me. 56 But this has all of it come about in order that the scriptures of the prophets should be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and ran.

57 And those who had taken Jesus brought him to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had met. 58 And Peter followed him at a distance up to the high priest’s courtyard, and went inside and sat with the officers to see the end. 59 And the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death; 60 and they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. But in the end two came forward 61 and said “This man said ‘I can tear down the temple of God and build it up in three days.’” 62 And the high priest stood up and said to him “Do you make no answer? what is it that these are testifying against you?” 63 but Jesus was silent. And the high priest said to him “I adjure you by the living God to tell us whether you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him “As you say; I tell you, though, henceforth it will be sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of the heavens that you see the Son of Man.” 65 Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying “He has blasphemed! what further need have we of witnesses? here, you have heard the blasphemy now, 66 what do you think?” And they answered “It is a case for death.”

67 Then they spat into his face and struck him with their fists, and some slapped him 68 saying “Prophesy for us, Messiah, who was it that hit you?”

69 But Peter was sitting out in the courtyard; and one maid came up to him, saying “You were with Jesus the Galilean too”; 70 but he denied it before everybody, saying “I do not know what you are talking about.” 71 And he went out to the porch; and there another girl saw him and said to those who were there “That man was with Jesus the Nazarene”; 72 and again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man,” 73 And after a little those who were standing around came up and said to Peter “You positively are one of them yourself—your language betrays you.” 74 Then he began to curse and swear that he “did not know the man”; and at once a cock crowed; 75 and Peter remembered Jesus’s word, how he had said “Before a cock has crowed you will disown me three times”; and he went outside and wept bitterly.