Matthew 26

When Jesus finished all these words, he said to his disciples, “You know that the Passover is in two days, and the Son of Man is being handed over to be crucified.” Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the courtyard of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas. They plotted to seize Jesus by deceit and kill him. But they said, “Not during the feast, so that there will not be a riot among the people.” While Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very costly perfume and poured it on his head as he reclined at table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant and said, “Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a great sum and the money given to the poor.” Knowing this, Jesus said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful work for me. For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me. In pouring this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They weighed out thirty pieces of silver for him. From then on he sought an opportunity to hand him over. On the first day of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.”’” The disciples did as Jesus directed them, and they prepared the Passover. When evening came, he reclined at table with the twelve disciples. As they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” Deeply grieved, each one began to say to him, “Surely not I, Lord?” He answered, “The one who dipped his hand with me in the dish will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” Judas, who was betraying him, answered, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said it.” As they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing, broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take, eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. But I tell you, from now on I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will fall away because of me this night, for it is written,
‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Peter answered him, “Even if everyone falls away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will never deny you.” And all the disciples said the same. Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him and began to be sorrowful and distressed. Then he said to them, “My soul is deeply sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” He went a little farther, fell facedown, and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “So, could you not keep watch with me for one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you do not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again he went away a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” He came and again found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. He left them, went away again, and prayed a third time, saying the same words again. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep on now and rest. Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is being handed over into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us go. Look, the one betraying me is near.” While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived, and with him a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and elders of the people. The one betraying him had given them a sign, saying, “The man I kiss is the one. Seize him.” Immediately he came to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came for.” Then they came forward, laid hands on Jesus, and seized him. One of those with Jesus reached out his hand, drew his sword, and struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once place more than twelve legions of angels at my disposal? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen this way?” At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? Day after day I sat teaching in the temple, and you did not seize me. But all this has happened so that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled. Those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and elders had gathered. Peter followed him at a distance, as far as the high priest’s courtyard. He went inside and sat with the officers to see the outcome. The chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward and said, “This man said, ‘I can tear down the sanctuary of God and build it in three days.’” The high priest stood up and said to him, “Have you no answer? What is it that these men testify against you?” But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, “I put you under oath by the living God: tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said it. Yet I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his garments and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death.” Then they spat in his face and struck him with their fists, and others slapped him, saying, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck you?” Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before everyone, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.” When he went out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those there, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.” Again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” A little later, those standing there came and said to Peter, “Surely you too are one of them, for your speech gives you away.” Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before a rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” He went outside and wept bitterly.

Rights and attribution