26:1 When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples,
26:2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion.”
26:3 At that time the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the courtyard of the high priest named Caiaphas;
26:4 and they plotted together to arrest Jesus covertly and kill Him.
26:5 But they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise a riot might occur among the people.”
26:6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon ①the Leper,
▷ ①I.e., a nickname; the man no doubt was cured
26:7 a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very expensive perfume, and she poured it on His head as He was reclining at the table.
26:8 But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste?
26:9 For this perfume could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”
26:10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you bothering the woman? For she has done a good deed for Me.
26:11 For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me.
26:12 For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial.
26:13 Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.”
26:14 Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
26:15 and said, “What are you willing to give me ①to ②betray Him to you?” And they set out for him thirty ③pieces of silver.
▷ ①Lit and I will ②Or hand Him over to ③I.e., silver shekels
26:16 And from then on he looked for a good opportunity to ①betray ②Jesus.
▷ ①Or hand over ②Lit Him
26:17 Now on the first day of ①Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and ②asked, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”
▷ ①I.e., Passover week ②Lit said
26:18 And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near; I am keeping the Passover at your house with My disciples.” ’ ”
26:19 The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.
26:20 Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the ①twelve.
▷ ①One early ms twelve disciples
26:21 And as they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.”
26:22 Being deeply grieved, they began saying to Him, each one: “Surely it is not I, Lord?”
26:23 And He answered, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me.
26:24 The Son of Man is going away just as it is written about Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good ①for that man if he had not been born.”
▷ ①Lit for him if that man had not
26:25 And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Jesus *said to him, “You have said it yourself.”
26:26 Now while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and ①after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
▷ ①Lit having blessed
26:27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you;
26:28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is being poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.
26:29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it with you, new, in My Father’s kingdom.”
26:30 And after singing a ①hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
▷ ①Ps 113-118 were traditionally sung at Passover
26:31 Then Jesus *said to them, “You will all ①fall away because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I WILL STRIKE THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK WILL BE SCATTERED.’
▷ ①I.e., have a lapse in faith
26:32 But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”
26:33 But Peter replied to Him, “Even if they all ①fall away because of You, I will never fall away!”
▷ ①I.e., from the faith
26:34 Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
26:35 Peter *said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” All the disciples said the same thing as well.
26:36 Then Jesus *came with them to a place called ①Gethsemane, and *told His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”
▷ ①I.e., oil press
26:37 And He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with Him, and began to be grieved and distressed.
26:38 Then He *said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”
26:39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”
26:40 And He *came to the disciples and *found them sleeping, and He *said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour?
26:41 Keep watching and praying, so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is ①willing, but the flesh is weak.”
▷ ①Or eager
26:42 He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass away unless I drink from it, Your will be done.”
26:43 Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.
26:44 And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more.
26:45 Then He *came to the disciples and *said to them, “ ①Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour ②is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
▷ ①Or Keep on sleeping for the time remaining and ②Or has approached
26:46 Get up, let’s go; behold, the one who is betraying Me is near!”
26:47 And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came ①accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people.
▷ ①Lit and with him
26:48 Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign previously, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; arrest Him.”
26:49 And immediately Judas went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.
26:50 But Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested Him.
26:51 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus ①reached and drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and ②cut off his ear.
▷ ①Lit extended the hand ②Lit took off
26:52 Then Jesus *said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword will perish by the sword.
26:53 Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve ①legions of angels?
▷ ①A legion equaled 6,000 troops
26:54 How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”
26:55 At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would against a man inciting a revolt? Every day I used to sit within the temple grounds teaching, and you did not arrest Me.
26:56 But all this has taken place so that the Scriptures of the prophets will be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left Him and fled.
26:57 Those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together.
26:58 But Peter was following Him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and he came inside and sat down with the ①officers to see the outcome.
▷ ①Or servants
26:59 Now the chief priests and the entire ①Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death.
▷ ①Or Sanhedrin
26:60 They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward,
26:61 and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the ①temple of God and to rebuild it ②in three days.’ ”
▷ ①Or sanctuary ②Or after
26:62 The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You offer no answer for what these men are testifying against You?”
26:63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I place You under oath by the living God, to tell us whether You are the ①Christ, the Son of God.”
▷ ①I.e., Messiah
26:64 Jesus *said to him, “You have said it yourself. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
26:65 Then the high priest tore his ①robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? See, you have now heard the blasphemy;
▷ ①Or outer garments
26:66 what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!”
26:67 Then they spit in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others ①slapped Him,
▷ ①Or possibly beat Him with rods
26:68 and said, “Prophesy to us, You ①Christ; who is the one who hit You?”
▷ ①I.e., Messiah
26:69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a slave woman came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.”
26:70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.”
26:71 When he had gone out to the gateway, another slave woman saw him and *said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
26:72 And again he denied it, with an oath: “I do not know the man.”
26:73 A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “You really are one of them as well, since even the way you talk ①gives you away.”
▷ ①Lit makes you evident
26:74 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.
26:75 And Peter remembered the statement that Jesus had ①made: “Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
▷ ①Lit said