The Plot to Kill Jesus

¹xIt was now two days before ythe Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes zwere seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, ²for they said, “Not during the feast, alest there be an uproar from the people.”

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

³bAnd while he was at cBethany in the house of Simon the leper,1 as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. ⁴There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? ⁵For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii2 and dgiven to the poor.” And they escolded her. ⁶But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ⁷For fyou always have the poor with you, and whenever gyou want, you can do good for them. But hyou will not always have me. ⁸iShe has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand jfor burial. ⁹And truly, I say to you, wherever kthe gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told lin memory of her.”

Judas to Betray Jesus

¹⁰mThen nJudas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, nwent to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. ¹¹And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to obetray him.

The Passover with the Disciples

¹²pAnd on qthe first day of Unleavened Bread, when they rsacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” ¹³And he sent stwo of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, ¹⁴and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, t‘The Teacher says, Where is umy guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ ¹⁵And he will show you va large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” ¹⁶And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

¹⁷wAnd when it was evening, he came with the twelve. ¹⁸And as they were reclining at table and eating, xJesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, yone who is eating with me.” ¹⁹They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” ²⁰He said to them, “It is zone of the twelve, yone who is dipping bread into the dish with me. ²¹For the Son of Man goes aas it is written of him, but bwoe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! cIt would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

Institution of the Lord's Supper

²²dAnd as they were eating, he took bread, and after eblessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; fthis is my body.” ²³And he took a cup, and when he had ggiven thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. ²⁴And he said to them, f“This is my hblood of the3 covenant, which is poured out for imany. ²⁵Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

Jesus Foretells Peter's Denial

²⁶jAnd when they had sung a hymn, kthey went out to lthe Mount of Olives. ²⁷And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will mstrike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ ²⁸But after I am raised up, nI will go before you to Galilee.” ²⁹oPeter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” ³⁰And pJesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before qthe rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” ³¹But rhe said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

³²sAnd they went kto a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” ³³And he took with him tPeter and James and John, and began uto be greatly distressed and troubled. ³⁴And he said to them, v“My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and wwatch.”4 ³⁵And going a little farther, he fell on the ground xand prayed that, if it were possible, ythe hour might pass from him. ³⁶And he said, z“Abba, Father, aall things are possible for you. Remove bthis cup from me. cYet not what I will, but what you will.” ³⁷And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? ³⁸wWatch and dpray that you may not eenter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” ³⁹And again he went away and prayed, fsaying the same words. ⁴⁰And again he came and found them sleeping, for gtheir eyes were very heavy, and hthey did not know what to answer him. ⁴¹And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? iIt is enough; jthe hour has come. kThe Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴²Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

⁴³lAnd immediately, while he was still speaking, mJudas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. ⁴⁴Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” ⁴⁵And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, n“Rabbi!” And he okissed him. ⁴⁶And they laid hands on him and seized him. ⁴⁷But one of those who stood by drew his psword and struck the servant5 of the high priest and cut off his ear. ⁴⁸And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? ⁴⁹qDay after day I was with you in the temple rteaching, and you did not seize me. But slet the Scriptures be fulfilled.” ⁵⁰tAnd they all left him and fled.

A Young Man Flees

⁵¹And a young man followed him, with nothing but ua linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, ⁵²but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.

Jesus Before the Council

⁵³vAnd wthey led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. ⁵⁴wAnd xPeter had followed him at a distance, yright into zthe courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with athe guards and bwarming himself at the fire. ⁵⁵Now the chief priests and the whole council6 were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. ⁵⁶cFor many bore false witness against him, but their testimony ddid not agree. ⁵⁷And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, ⁵⁸e“We heard him say, f‘I will destroy this temple gthat is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, hnot made with hands.’” ⁵⁹Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. ⁶⁰And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?”7 ⁶¹But ihe remained silent and made no answer. jAgain the high priest asked him, “Are you kthe Christ, the Son of lthe Blessed?” ⁶²And Jesus said, “I am, and myou will see the Son of Man nseated at the right hand of Power, and mcoming with the clouds of heaven.” ⁶³And the high priest otore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? ⁶⁴You have heard phis blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they qall condemned him as rdeserving death. ⁶⁵sAnd some began tto spit on him and uto cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him vwith blows.

Expand Chapter