The Chief Priests and Elders Plot to Kill Jesus
1 And it happened that when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples,
2 “You know that after two days the Passover takes place, and the Son of Man will be handed overin order to be crucified.”
3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas,
4 and plotted in order that they could arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.
5 But they were saying, “Not during the feast, so that there will not be an uproar among the people.”
Jesus’ Anointing at Bethany
6 Now whileJesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,
7 a woman came up to him holding an alabaster flask of very expensive perfumed oil, and poured itout on his head while hewas reclining at table.
8 And whenthe disciples saw itthey were indignant, saying, “Whythis waste?
9 For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor!”
10 But Jesus, knowing this,said to them, “Why do you cause trouble for the woman? For she has done a good deed for me.
11 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.
12 For whenthis woman poured this ointment on my body, she did itin order to prepare me for burial.
13 Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.”
Judas Arranges to Betray Jesus
14 Then one of the twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
15 andsaid, “What are you willing to give me if I in turn deliver him to you?” So they set out for him thirty silver coins.
16 And from that time on, he began seeking a favorable opportunity in order that he could betray him.
Jesus’ Final Passover with the Disciples
17 Now on the first dayof the feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came up to Jesus, saying, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?”
18 And he said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near. I am celebrating the Passover with you with my disciples.” ’
19 And the disciples did as Jesus directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
20 And when itwas evening, he was reclining at table with the twelve disciples.
21 And whilethey were eating he said, “Truly I say to you, that one of you will betray me.”
22 And greatly distressed, each one began to say to him, “Surely I am not he, am I,Lord?”
23 And he answered andsaid, “The one who dips hishand in the bowl with me—this one will betray me.
24 The Son of Man is going just as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if that man had not been born.”
25 And Judas, the one who was betraying him, answered andsaid, “Surely I am not he, am I,Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said it.”
The Lord’s Supper
26 Now whilethey were eating Jesus took bread and, aftergiving thanks, he broke it,and giving itto the disciples, he said, “Take, eat, this is my body.”
27 And aftertaking the cup and giving thanks he gave itto them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you,
28 for this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
29 But I tell you, from now on I will never drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in the kingdom of my Father.”
30 And after theyhad sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me during this night, for it is written,
‘I will strike the shepherd
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
32 But after I am raised, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
33 But Peter answered andsaid to him, “If they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away!”
34 Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that during this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times!”
35 Peter said to him, “Even if it is necessary for me to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the disciples said the same thing.
The Prayer in Gethsemane
36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go over there andpray.”
37 And taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be distressed and troubled.
38 Then he said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake with me.”
39 And going forward a little he fell down on his face, praying and saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “So, were you not able to stay awake with me one hour?
41 Stay awake and pray that you will not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak!”
42 Again for the second time he went away andprayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will must be done.”
43 And he came again andfound them sleeping, for they could not keep their eyes open.
44 And leaving them again, he went away andprayed for the third time, saying the same thing again.
45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
46 Get up, let us go! Behold, the one who is betraying me is approaching!”
The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
47 And whilehe was still speaking, behold, 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.
48 Now the one who was betraying him had given them a sign, saying, “The one whom I kiss—he is the one.Arrest him!”
49 And he came up to Jesus immediately andsaid, “Greetings, Rabbi,” and kissed him.
50 And Jesus said to him, “Friend, do thatfor which you have come.”Then they came up andlaid hands on Jesus and arrested him.
51 And behold, one of those with Jesus extended hishand anddrew his sword, and striking the slave of the high priest, cut off his ear.
52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place! For all who take up the sword will die by the sword.
53 Or do you think that I cannot call upon my Father, and he would put at my disposal at once more than twelve legions of angels?
54 How then would the scriptures be fulfilled that it must happen in this way?”
55 At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as against a robber, to arrest me? Every day in the temple courtsI sat teaching, and you did not arrest me!
56 But all this has happened in order that the scriptures of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then the disciples all abandoned him andfled.
Jesus Before the Sanhedrin
57 Now those who had arrested Jesus led himaway to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered.
58 But Peter was following him from a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest. And he went inside andwas sitting with the officers to see the outcome.
59 Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus in order that they could put him to death.
60 And they did not find it,althoughmany false witnesses came forward. And finally two came forward
61 andsaid, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild itwithin three days.’ ”
62 And the high priest stood up andsaid to him, “Do you reply nothing? What are these people testifying against you?”
63 But Jesus was silent. And the high priest said to him, “I put you under oath by the living God, that you tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God!”
64 Jesus said to him, “You have said it.But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Powerand coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65 Then the high priest tore his robes, saying, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have just now heard the blasphemy!
66 What do you think?” And they answered andsaid, “He deserves death!”
67 Then they spat in his face and struck him with their fists, and they slapped him,
68 saying, “Prophesy for us, you Christ! Who is it who hit you?”
Peter Denies Jesus Three Times
69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a female slave came up to him andsaid, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.”
70 But he denied itin the presence of them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean!”
71 And when hewent out to the gateway, another female slavesaw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.”
72 And again he denied itwith an oath, “I do not know the man!”
73 And after a little while those who were standing there came up andsaid to Peter, “You really are one of them also, because even your accent reveals who you are.”
74 Then he began to curse and to swear with an oath, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.
75 And Peter remembered the statement Jesus had said, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times,” and he went outside andwept bitterly.
—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/38/32k/MAT/26-0ec11c2e499d50e9cb7572267da4726e.mp3?version_id=90—