Matthew 26
26
The Plot to Kill Jesus
1When Jesus had finished saying all these things,#Mk 14:1–2; Lk 22:1–2; Jn 11:47–53 he told his disciples, 2“You know#26:2 Or “Know (as a command) that the Passover takes place after two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”#Jn 11:55; 13:1
3Then the chief priests#26:3 Other mss add and the scribes and the elders of the people assembled in the courtyard of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas,#Ps 2:2; Mt 26:57; Lk 3:2; Jn 11:47; 18:13,15; Ac 4:6 4and they conspired to arrest Jesus in a treacherous way and kill him.#Mt 21:46; Jn 11:53 5“Not during the festival,” they said, “so there won’t be rioting among the people.”
The Anointing at Bethany
6While Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon#Mk 14:3–9; Jn 12:1–8 the leper,#26:6 Gk lepros; a term for various skin diseases; see Lv 13–14 7a woman approached him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume. She poured it on his head as he was reclining at the table. 8When the disciples#Mt 10:1; 26:56; Mk 3:7; 16:20; Lk 6:13; Jn 12:16 saw it, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9“This might have been sold for a great deal and given to the poor.”
10Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a noble thing for me. 11You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.#Dt 15:11; Jn 12:8 12By pouring this perfume on my body, she has prepared me for burial. 13Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel#Mt 24:14; Mk 1:1; 13:10 is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
14Then#Mk 14:10–11; Lk 22:3–6 one of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests#Mt 10:4; Jn 6:71; 12:4; 13:30; Ac 1:16 15and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” So they weighed out thirty pieces of silver for him.#Ex 21:32; Zch 11:12–13; Mt 27:3 16And from that time he started looking for a good opportunity to betray him.
Betrayal at the Passover
17On the first day of Unleavened Bread#Mk 14:12–16; Lk 22:7–13 the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
18 “Go into the city to a certain man,” he said, “and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time is near; I am celebrating the Passover at your place#26:18 Lit Passover with you with my disciples.’”#Jn 7:6,8; 8:20; 13:1; 17:1 19So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. 20When evening came, he was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21While they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”#Mk 14:17–21; Lk 22:21–23; Jn 13:21–26
22Deeply distressed, each one began to say to him, “Surely not I, Lord?”
23He replied, “The one who dipped his hand with me in the bowl — he will betray me. 24The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him,#Dn 9:26; Mk 9:12; Lk 24:25–27; Ac 17:2–3; 26:22–23; 1Co 15:3; 1Pt 1:10 but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him if he had not been born.”
25Judas, his betrayer, replied, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” #Lk 22:70; Jn 1:38
“You have said it,” he told him.
The First Lord’s Supper
26As they were eating,#Mk 14:22–25; Lk 22:17–20; 1Co 11:23–25 Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples,#Mt 10:1; 26:56; Mk 3:7; 16:20; Lk 6:13; Jn 12:16 and said, “Take and eat it; this is my body.”#Mt 14:19; 1Co 10:16 27Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. 28For this is my blood of the covenant,#26:28 Other mss read new covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.#Ex 24:8; Mt 20:28; Mk 1:4; Heb 9:20 29But I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”#Mt 4:23; Mk 1:15; Ac 20:25 30After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.#Mt 21:1; Lk 22:39; Jn 18:1
Peter’s Denial Predicted
31Then Jesus said to them, “Tonight all of you will fall away because of me, for it is written:
I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. # 26:31 Zch 13:7 #
Zch 13:7; Mt 11:6; Jn 16:32
32 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” #
Mt 28:7,10,16; Mk 16:7
33Peter told him, “Even if everyone falls away because of you, I will never fall away.”
34 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to him, “tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”#Mt 26:75; Lk 22:34; Jn 13:38
35“Even if I have to die with you,” Peter told him, “I will never deny you,” and all the disciples said the same thing.
The Prayer in the Garden
36Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane,#Mk 14:32–42; Lk 22:40–46 and he told the disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.#Mt 4:21; 17:1 38He said to them, “I am deeply grieved#26:38 Lit “My soul is swallowed up in sorrow to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake with me.”#Ps 42:5–6; Mt 24:42; Jn 12:27 39Going a little farther,#26:39 Other mss read Drawing nearer he fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”#Mt 20:22; Jn 5:30; 6:38; Php 2:8; Heb 5:7
40Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He asked Peter, “So, couldn’t you stay awake with me one hour? 41Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42Again, a second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this#26:42 Other mss add cup cannot pass#26:42 Other mss add from me unless I drink it, your will be done.”#Mt 26:39; Mk 14:36; Lk 22:42; Jn 6:38 43And he came again and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open.
44After leaving them, he went away again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. 45Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? See, the time is near. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.#Jn 12:27; 13:1 46Get up; let’s go. See, my betrayer is near.”
Judas’s Betrayal of Jesus
47While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, suddenly arrived.#Mk 14:43–50; Lk 22:47–53; Jn 18:3–11 A large mob with swords and clubs was with him from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48His betrayer had given them a sign: “The one I kiss, he’s the one; arrest him.” 49So immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.
50 “Friend,” #
Mt 20:13; 22:12 Jesus asked him, “why have you come?” #26:50 Or Jesus told him, “do what you have come for.”
Then they came up, took hold of Jesus, and arrested him. 51At that moment one of those with Jesus reached out his hand and drew his sword. He struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his ear.#Lk 22:38; Jn 18:10
52Then Jesus told him, “Put your sword back in its place because all who take up the sword will perish by the sword.#Gn 9:6; Rv 13:10 53Or do you think that I cannot call on my Father, and he will provide me here and now with more than twelve legions of angels?#2Kg 6:17; Dn 7:10; Mt 4:11; Lk 8:30 54How, then, would the Scriptures be fulfilled#Mt 1:22; 26:24 that say it must happen this way?”
55At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as if I were a criminal,#26:55 Lit as against a criminal to capture me? Every day I used to sit, teaching in the temple, and you didn’t arrest me.#Mk 12:35; Lk 21:37; Jn 7:19; 8:2; 18:20 56But all this has happened so that the writings of the prophets#Mt 26:54; Rm 1:2; 2Pt 1:20 would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples#Mt 10:1; 26:56; Mk 3:7; 16:20; Lk 6:13; Jn 12:16 deserted him and ran away.
Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin
57Those#Mk 14:53–65; Jn 18:12–13,19–24 who had arrested Jesus led him away to Caiaphas#Mt 26:3; Jn 11:49 the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had convened. 58Peter was following him at a distance right to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and was sitting with the servants to see the outcome.#Jn 7:32; 18:15
59The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death,#Mt 5:22; Ac 6:11 60but they could not find any, even though many false witnesses#Dt 19:15; Ps 27:12; 35:11; Ac 6:13 came forward.#26:60 Other mss add they found none Finally, two#26:60 Other mss add false witnesses who came forward 61stated, “This man said, ‘I can destroy the temple of God#Mt 27:40; Jn 2:19; Ac 6:14 and rebuild it in three days.’”
62The high priest stood up and said to him, “Don’t you have an answer to what these men are testifying against you?” 63But#Lk 22:67–71 Jesus kept silent.#Is 53:7; Mt 27:12,14; Jn 19:9 The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath#Lv 19:12; Nm 30:2; Dt 23:21; Mt 5:33; 14:7; 23:16 by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”#Lv 5:1; 1Sm 14:24,26; Mt 16:16
64 “You have said it,” Jesus told him. “But I tell you, in the future#26:64 Lit you, from now you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”#26:64Ps 110:1; Dn 7:13#Ps 110:1; Dn 7:13; Mt 16:27; 24:30; Rv 1:7
65Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed!#Mk 3:29; Jn 10:33 Why do we still need witnesses? See, now you’ve heard the blasphemy.#Nm 14:6; Mk 14:63; Ac 14:14 66What is your decision?”
They answered, “He deserves death!” #Lv 24:16; Jn 19:7 67Then they spat in his face#Mt 27:30; Mk 10:34; Lk 22:63–65; Jn 18:22 and beat him; others slapped him 68and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah! Who was it that hit you?” #Mk 14:65; Lk 22:64
Peter Denies His Lord
69Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard.#Mk 14:66–72; Lk 22:55–62; Jn 18:16–18,25–27 A servant girl approached him and said, “You were with Jesus the Galilean too.”
70But he denied it in front of everyone: “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
71When he had gone out to the gateway, another woman saw him and told those who were there, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene!” #Mk 14:67; Ac 6:14
72And again he denied it with an oath:#Lv 19:12; Nm 30:2; Dt 23:21; Mt 5:33; 14:7; 23:16 “I don’t know the man!”
73After a little while those standing there approached and said to Peter, “You really are one of them, since even your accent#26:73 Or speech gives you away.”
74Then he started to curse and to swear with an oath, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed, 75and Peter remembered the words Jesus had spoken, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”#Mt 26:34; Jn 13:38; Ac 3:13–14 And he went outside and wept bitterly.
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Matthew 26: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
St Matthew 26
26
1AND it came to pass, when Jesus had ended all these words, he said to his disciples:
2You know that after two days shall be the pasch, and the son of man shall be delivered up to be crucified:
3Then were gathered together the chief priests and ancients of the people into the court of the high priest, who was called Caiphas:
4And they consulted together, that by subtilty they might apprehend Jesus, and put him to death.
5But they said: Not on the festival day, lest perhaps there should be a tumult among the people.
6And when Jesus was in Bethania, in the house of Simon the leper,
7There came to him a woman having an alabaster box of precious ointment, and poured it on his head as he was at table.
8And the disciples seeing it, had indignation, saying: To what purpose is this waste?
9For this might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.
10And Jesus knowing it, said to them: Why do you trouble this woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.
11For the poor you have always with you: but me you have not always.
12For she in pouring this ointment upon my body, hath done it for my burial.
13Amen I say to you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that also which she hath done, shall be told for a memory of her.
14Then went one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, to the chief priests,
15And said to them: What will you give me, and I will deliver him unto you? But they appointed him thirty pieces of silver.
16And from thenceforth he sought opportunity to betray him.
17And on the first day of the Azymes, the disciples came to Jesus, saying: Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the pasch?
18But Jesus said: Go ye into the city to a certain man, and say to him: the master saith, My time is near at hand, with thee I make the pasch with my disciples.
19And the disciples did as Jesus appointed to them, and they prepared the pasch.
20But when it was evening, he sat down with his twelve disciples.
21And whilst they were eating, he said: Amen I say to you, that one of you is about to betray me.
22And they being very much troubled, began every one to say: Is it I, Lord?
23But he answering, said: He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, he shall betray me.
24The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man shall be betrayed: it were better for him, if that man had not been born.
25And Judas that betrayed him, answering, said: Is it I, Rabbi? He saith to him: Thou hast said it.
26And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke: and gave to his disciples, and said: Take ye, and eat. This is my body.
27And taking the chalice, he gave thanks, and gave to them, saying: Drink ye all of this.
28For this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins.
29And I say to you, I will not drink from henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I shall drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father.
30And a hymn being said, they went out unto mount Olivet.
31Then Jesus said to them: All you shall be scandalized in me this night. For it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be dispersed.
32But after I shall be risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.
33And Peter answering, said to him: Although all shall be scandalized in thee, I will never be scandalized.
34Jesus said to him: Amen I say to thee, that in this night before the cock crow, thou wilt deny me thrice.
35Peter saith to him: Yea, though I should die with thee, I will not deny thee. And in like manner said all the disciples.
36Then Jesus came with them into a country place which is called Gethsemani; and he said to his disciples: Sit you here, till I go yonder and pray.
37And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to grow sorrowful and to be sad.
38Then he saith to them: My soul is sorrowful even unto death: stay you here, and watch with me.
39And going a little further, he fell upon his face, praying, and saying: My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
40And he cometh to his disciples, and findeth them asleep, and he saith to Peter: What? Could you not watch one hour with me?
41Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh weak.
42Again the second time, he went and prayed, saying: My Father, if this chalice may not pass away, but I must drink it, thy will be done.
43And he cometh again and findeth them sleeping: for their eyes were heavy.
44And leaving them, he went again: and he prayed the third time, saying the selfsame word.
45Then he cometh to his disciples, and saith to them: Sleep ye now and take your rest; behold the hour is at hand, and the Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners.
46Rise, let us go: behold he is at hand that will betray me.
47As he yet spoke, behold Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the ancients of the people.
48And he that betrayed him, gave them a sign, saying: Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he, hold him fast.
49And forthwith coming to Jesus, he said: Hail, Rabbi. And he kissed him.
50And Jesus said to him: Friend, whereto art thou come? Then they came up, and laid hands on Jesus, and held him.
51And behold one of them that were with Jesus, stretching forth his hand, drew out his sword: and striking the servant of the high priest, cut off his ear.
52Then Jesus saith to him: Put up again thy sword into its place: for all that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
53Thinkest thou that I cannot ask my Father, and he will give me presently more than twelve legions of angels?
54How then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that so it must be done?
55In that same hour Jesus said to the multitudes: You are come out as it were to a robber with swords and clubs to apprehend me. I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you laid not hands on me.
56Now all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then the disciples all leaving him, fled.
57But they holding Jesus led him to Caiphas the high priest, where the scribes and the ancients were assembled.
58And Peter followed him afar off, even to the court of the high priest. And going in, he sat with the servants, that he might see the end.
59And the chief priests and the whole council sought false witness against Jesus, that they might put him to death:
60And they found not, whereas many false witnesses had come in. And last of all there came two false witnesses:
61And they said: This man said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and after three days to rebuild it.
62And the high priest rising up, said to him: Answerest thou nothing to the things which these witness against thee?
63But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest said to him: I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us if thou be the Christ the Son of God.
64Jesus saith to him: Thou hast said it. Nevertheless I say to you, hereafter you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
65Then the high priests rent his garments, saying: He hath blasphemed; what further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now you have heard the blasphemy:
66What think you? But they answering, said: He is guilty of death.
67Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him: and others struck his face with the palms of their hands,
68Saying: Prophesy unto us, O Christ, who is he that struck thee?
69But Peter sat without in the court: and there came to him a servant maid, saying: Thou also wast with Jesus the Galilean.
70But he denied before them all, saying: I know not what thou sayest.
71And as he went out of the gate, another maid saw him, and she saith to them that were there: This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth.
72And again he denied with an oath, I know not the man.
73And after a little while they came that stood by, and said to Peter: Surely thou also art one of them; for even thy speech doth discover thee.
74Then he began to curse and to swear that he knew not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
75And Peter remembered the word of Jesus which he had said: Before the cock crow, thou wilt deny me thrice. And going forth, he wept bitterly.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.