< Matthew 26 >
1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these words, that he said to his disciples:
2 You know that after two days the passover is kept, and the Son of man is delivered up to be crucified.
3 Then the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people met together at the palace of the chief priest, who was called Caiaphas.
4 And they consulted together that they might take Jesus by craft and kill him.
5 But they said: Not during the feast, lest there be a tumult among the people.
6 When Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,
7 there came to him a woman who had an alabaster box of very costly ointment; and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table.
8 But when his disciples saw it, they were displeased, and said: For what purpose was this waste?
9 For this could have been sold for much, and given to the poor.
10 Jesus perceived it, and said to them: Why do you trouble the woman? For she has performed a good work upon me.
11 For you have the poor always with you, but me you have not always.
12 For in pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial.
13 Verily I say to you, Wherever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, this also which she has done shall be told for a memorial of her.
14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests,
15 and said: What are you willing to give me, and I will deliver him to you? And they weighed to him thirty pieces of silver.
16 And from that time he sought an opportunity to deliver him up.
17 On the first day of unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus, and said to him: Where dost thou wish that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?
18 He replied: Go into the city, to a certain man, and say to him, The Teacher says, My time is near; I will keep the passover at your house, with my disciples.
19 And the disciples did as Jesus commanded them, and prepared the passover.
20 When the evening had come, he reclined at table with the twelve.
21 And as they were eating, he said: Verily I say to you, One of you will deliver me up.
22 And they were very sad, and began each one of them to say to him: Lord, is it I?
23 He answered and said: He that dips his hand with me in the dish, will deliver me up.
24 The Son of man goes, as it is written of him; but alas for that man by whom the Son of man is delivered up! It would have been good for that man, if he had not been born.
25 And Judas, who delivered him up, answered and said: Rabbi, is it I? He replied: You have said.
26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said: Take, eat; this is my body.
27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying: Do you all drink of it:
28 for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many in order to the remission of sins.
29 But I say to you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, till that day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father.
30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
31 Then Jesus said to them: All of you will he offended at me this night; for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.
32 But after I have risen, I will go before you into Galilee.
33 Peter answered and said to him: Though all shall be offended at thee, yet will I never be offended.
34 Jesus said to him: Verily I say to you, This night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.
35 Peter said to him: Though it should be necessary for me to die with thee, I will not deny thee. In like manner said all the disciples.
36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to his disciples: Sit here, till I go and pray yonder.
37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be in deep distress and anguish of soul.
38 Then Jesus said to them: My soul is encompassed with sorrow even to death; remain here, and watch with me.
39 And he went forward a little, and fell on his face in prayer, saying: My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not as I will, but as thou willest.
40 And he came to his disciples, and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter: Was it so, that you had not strength to watch with me one hour?
41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit is, willing, but the flesh is weak.
42 Again, a second time, he went away, and prayed, saying: My Father, if this cup cannot pass from me, unless I drink it, thy will be done.
43 And he came and found them sleeping again, for their eyes were heavy.
44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
45 Then he came to his disciples, and said to them: Bleep what time is left, and take your rest; behold, the hour draws near, and the Son of man is delivered into the hands of sinners.
46 Arise, let us go; behold, he that delivers me up is at hand.
47 And while he was yet speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.
48 He that delivered him up had given them a sign, saying: The one that I shall kiss is he; hold him fast.
49 And immediately he came to Jesus, and said: Hail, Rabbi! and kissed him.
50 Jesus said to him: Friend, for what purpose have you come? Then they came, and laid hands on Jesus, and held him fast.
51 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck the servant of the chief priest, and cut off his ear.
52 Then Jesus said to him: Put back your sword into its place; for all that take the sword, shall perish by the sword.
53 Do you think that I can not now call upon my Father, and he would cause more than twelve legions of angels to stand by me?
54 But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?
55 At the same time Jesus said to the multitudes: Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs, to take me? I sat daily with you in the temple and taught, and you did not take me.
56 All this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples left him and fled.
57 And those who took Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the chief priest, where the scribes and elders had come together.
58 But Peter followed him, at a distance, to the palace of the chief priest, and went in and sat with the attendants, to see the end.
59 And the chief priests and the elders, and the whole Sanhedrin, sought false testimony against Jesus, that they might put him to death,
60 and found none. Though many false witnesses came, yet they found none. At last two false witnesses came,
61 and said: This man said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.
62 And the chief priest arose, and said to him: Do you make no answer? What do these testify against you?
63 But Jesus remained silent. And the chief priest answered and said to him: I adjure you, by the living God, that you tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God?
64 Jesus said to him: You have said. Moreover, I say to you, Hereafter you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the Almighty, and coming upon the clouds of heaven.
65 Then the chief priest rent his clothes, and said: He has spoken impiously; what further need have we of witnesses? See now, you have heard his impious words:
66 What think you? They answered and said: He is a subject for death.
67 Then did they spit in his face, and strike him with their fists; some struck him with the open hand,
68 and said: Give a response to us, Christ: Who is he that struck you?
69 But Peter was sitting without in the court; and a maid-servant came to him, and said: You also were with Jesus of Galilee.
70 But he denied before them all, saying: I know not what you say.
71 And when he went out into the entrance, another maid-servant saw him, and said to those who were there: This man was also with Jesus the Nazarene.
72 And again he denied, with an oath: I know not the man.
73 After a little while, those who stood by came and said to Peter: Of a truth you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.
74 Then he began to curse and to swear, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
75 And Peter remembered the word which. Jesus had spoken to him: Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times. And he went out, and wept bitterly.
