It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of
Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were
seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, for they said,
“Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.”
And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, 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. There were some who said to themselves
indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this
ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii
and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said,
“Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful
thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever
you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have
me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body
beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel
is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in
memory of her.”
Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief
priests in order to betray him to them. And when they heard it,
they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an
opportunity to betray him.
And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed
the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have
us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” And he sent two of
his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man
carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he
enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is
my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ And
he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there
prepare for us.” And the disciples set out and went to the city and
found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. And as they
were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to
you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” They
began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it
I?” He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping
bread into the dish with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is
written of 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.”
And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it
broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.”
And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them,
and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of
the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, 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.”
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of
Olives. And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is
written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be
scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to
Galilee.” Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I
will not.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very
night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three
times.” But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will
not deny you.” And they all said the same.
And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his
disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and
James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled.
And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death.
Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the
ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass
from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for
you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you
will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter,
“Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and
pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is
willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed,
saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping,
for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to
answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you
still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has
come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise,
let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of
the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the
chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now the betrayer had
given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize
him and lead him away under guard.” And when he came, he went up to
him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. And they laid
hands on him and seized him. But one of those who stood by drew his
sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his
ear. And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a
robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I was
with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let
the Scriptures be fulfilled.” And they all left him and fled.
And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth
about his body. And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth
and ran away naked.
And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests
and the elders and the scribes came together. And Peter had
followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high
priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at
the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking
testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none.
For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did
not agree. And some stood up and bore false witness against him,
saying, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made
with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with
hands.’” Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. And 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?” But
he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked
him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said,
“I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of
Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest
tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? You
have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all
condemned him as deserving death. And some began to spit on him and
to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And
the guards received him with blows.
And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls
of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she
looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.”
But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you
mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. And
the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders,
“This man is one of them.” But again he denied it. And after a
little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are
one of them, for you are a Galilean.” But he began to invoke a
curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you
speak.” And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter
remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows
twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
