< Matthew 26 >
1 AND it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples,
2 Ye know that after two days is the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
3 Then were the chief priests and scribes, and the elders of the people gathered together in the palace of the high-priest, called Caiaphas.
4 And they consulted together, how they might seize Jesus by guile, and put him to death.
5 But they said, Not on the feast-day, lest there be a tumult among the people.
6 Now when Jesus was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,
7 there came to him a woman having an alabaster-box of very precious aromatic ointment, and poured it upon his head as he sat at table.
8 But when the disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, For what end is this waste?
9 For this ointment might have been sold for a considerable sum, and given to the poor.
10 Then Jesus knowing it, said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath performed a good act upon me:
11 for the poor ye have always with you, but me ye have not always:
12 for in pouring this odoriferous ointment on my body, she hath done it for my burial.
13 Verily I say unto you, Wherever this Gospel is preached through the whole world, what she hath done shall be also spoken of for a memorial of her.
14 Then went one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, to the chief priests,
15 and said, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? Then they placed before him thirty pieces of silver.
16 And from that time he sought an opportunity to deliver him up to them.
17 Then on the first day of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?
18 And he said, Go into the city, unto such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand: I will keep the passover with my disciples at thy house.
19 And his disciples did as Jesus commanded them; and they made ready the passover.
20 And when the evening was come, he sat down at table with the twelve.
21 And as they were eating, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
22 And exceedingly grieved, they began to say to him every one of them, Lord, am I the person?
23 But he answering said, He that dippeth his hand with me into the dish, that man shall betray me.
24 The Son of man indeed is departing, as it is written of him: but wo to that man, by whom the Son of man is betrayed! well had it been for that man if he had never had a being.
25 Then Judas, who betrayed him, addressing him said, Master, is it I? He saith to him, Thou hast named the person.
26 Then as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessing, brake, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.
27 And taking the cup, and giving thanks, he gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of this:
28 for this is my blood, that blood of the new testament, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins.
29 And I tell you, That I will no more henceforth drink of this produce of the vine, until that day when I drink it with you, new, in the kingdom of my Father.
30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out to the mount of Olives.
31 Then saith Jesus unto them, Ye all will be offended at me this night: for it is written, “I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.”
32 But after I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.
33 Then Peter, taking up the word, said to him, Though all should be offended at thee, yet will I never be offended.
34 Jesus saith to him, I tell thee of a certainty, that this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
35 Peter said to him, Though I should die with thee, never will I deny thee. In like manner also said all the disciples.
36 Then cometh Jesus with them to a place called Gethsemane, and saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.
37 And taking Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be deeply sorrowful, and to be overwhelmed with dejection.
38 Then saith he to them. My soul is exceeding sorrowful even to death: abide here, and watch with me.
39 And going a little farther, he fell on his face, praying, and saying, My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.
40 And he cometh to the disciples, and findeth them sleeping, and he saith to Peter, Is it so, that ye have not strength to watch with me one hour?
41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh weak.
42 Again the second time he went away, and prayed, saying, O my Father, If it be not possible, that this cup pass from me, but that I should drink it, thy will be done.
43 And coming, he found them asleep again, for their eyes were weighed down.
44 And leaving them, he went away again, and prayed the third time, repeating the same sentence.
45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Do ye still sleep on, and repose yourselves? lo! the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
46 Arise, let us go: lo! he that betrayeth me approaches.
47 And while he was yet speaking, behold, Judas one of the twelve came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.
48 Now he that betrayed him had given them a signal, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he: seize him.
49 And immediately approaching to Jesus, he said, Hail, master; and kissed him.
50 Then spake Jesus to him, Friend, for what purpose art thou here? Then approaching they laid hands on Jesus, and seized him.
51 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretching out his hand, drew his sword, and striking at a servant of the high-priest, cut off his ear.
52 Then saith Jesus unto him, Return thy sword into its sheath: for all who take the sword, shall perish by the sword.
53 Thinkest thou, that I cannot now entreat my Father, and he will give me more than twelve legions of angels?
54 But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?
55 In that hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a robber, with swords and staves to apprehend me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid not hold upon me.
56 But all this is come to pass, that the scriptures of the prophets should be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.
57 Then they who had apprehended Jesus, brought him to Caiaphas the high-priest, where the scribes and elders were assembled.
58 But Peter followed him at a great distance unto the palace of the high-priest, and entering in, sat down with the servants, to see the issue.
59 Now the chief priests and elders and the whole sanhedrim, sought false witness against Jesus, that they might put him to death;
60 and found none: and though many false witnesses came, they found it not sufficient. But at the last two false witnesses stepping forth,
61 said, This fellow said, I am able to pull down the temple of God, and to build it up in three days.
62 And the high-priest rising up, said to him, Answerest thou nothing? what do these men witness against thee?
63 But Jesus was silent. And the high-priest addressing him, said, I adjure thee, by the living God, that thou tell us, if thou art the Messiah, the Son of God.
64 Jesus saith to him, Thou hast spoken the fact. Moreover I tell you, hereafter ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
65 Then the high-priest rent his garments, saying, he hath blasphemed: what farther need have we of witnesses? lo! now ye have heard his blasphemy:
66 what think ye? They answered and said, He is deserving of death.
67 Then they spit in his face, and buffeted him about; and some slapt his face with their hands,
68 saying, Prophesy to us, you Messiah, who it is that struck thee!
69 Now Peter sat without in the hall: and there came to him a single maid-servant, saying, Thou also wert with Jesus of Galilee.
70 But he denied it before them all, asserting, I know not what thou art saying.
71 Then as he was going out at the gate, another maid-servant saw him, and saith to those who were there, This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.
72 Then again he denied with an oath, I know not the man.
73 But after a little while they who stood by, came up and said to Peter, Assuredly thou also art one of them: for even thy speech maketh thee manifest.
74 Then began he to utter the bitterest curses, and to swear, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, who had said unto him, Before the cock shall crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And going out, he wept bitterly.