Matthew 26
26
Plot to kill Jesus
1When Jesus finished speaking all these words, he said to his disciples, 2“You know that the Passover is two days from now. And the Human One#26.2 Or Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
3Then the chief priests and elders of the people gathered in the courtyard of Caiaphas the high priest. 4They were plotting to arrest Jesus by cunning tricks and to kill him. 5But they agreed that it shouldn’t happen during the feast so there wouldn’t be an uproar among the people.
A woman pouring perfume on Jesus
6When Jesus was at Bethany visiting the house of Simon, who had a skin disease, 7a woman came to him with a vase made of alabaster containing very expensive perfume. She poured it on Jesus’ head while he was sitting at dinner. 8Now when the disciples saw it they were angry and said, “Why this waste? 9This perfume could have been sold for a lot of money and given to the poor.”
10But Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said, “Why do you make trouble for the woman? She’s done a good thing for me. 11You always have the poor with you, but you won’t always have me. 12By pouring this perfume over my body she’s prepared me to be buried. 13I tell you the truth that wherever in the whole world this good news is announced, what she’s done will also be told in memory of her.”
Judas betrays Jesus
14Then one of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15and said, “What will you give me if I turn Jesus over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16From that time on he was looking for an opportunity to turn him in.
Passover with the disciples
17On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover meal?”
18He replied, “Go into the city, to a certain man, and say, ‘The teacher says,“My time is near. I’m going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.”’” 19The disciples did just as Jesus instructed them. They prepared the Passover.
20That evening he took his place at the table with the twelve disciples. 21As they were eating he said, “I assure you that one of you will betray me.”
22Deeply saddened, each one said to him, “I’m not the one, am I, Lord?”
23He replied, “The one who will betray me is the one who dips his hand with me into this bowl. 24The Human One#26.24 Or Son of Man goes to his death just as it is written about him. But how terrible it is for that person who betrays the Human One!#26.24 Or Son of Man It would have been better for him if he had never been born.”
25Now Judas, who would betray him, replied, “It’s not me, is it, Rabbi?”
Jesus answered, “You said it.”
Last supper
26While they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take and eat. This is my body.” 27He took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from this, all of you. 28This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many so that their sins may be forgiven. 29I tell you, I won’t drink wine again until that day when I drink it in a new way with you in my Father’s kingdom.” 30Then, after singing songs of praise, they went to the Mount of Olives.
Predictions about disciples leaving Jesus
31Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Tonight you will all fall away because of me. This is because it is written, I will hit the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will go off in all directions.#26.31 Zech 13:7 32But after I’m raised up, I’ll go before you to Galilee.”
33Peter replied, “If everyone else stumbles because of you, I’ll never stumble.”
34Jesus said to him, “I assure you that, before the rooster crows tonight, you will deny me three times.”
35Peter said, “Even if I must die alongside you, I won’t deny you.” All the disciples said the same thing.
Jesus in prayer
36Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. He said to the disciples, “Stay here while I go and pray over there.” 37When he took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, he began to feel sad and anxious. 38Then he said to them, “I’m very sad. It’s as if I’m dying. Stay here and keep alert with me.” 39Then he went a short distance farther and fell on his face and prayed, “My Father, if it’s possible, take this cup of suffering away from me. However—not what I want but what you want.”
40He came back to the disciples and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you stay alert one hour with me? 41Stay alert and pray so that you won’t give in to temptation. The spirit is eager, but the flesh is weak.” 42A second time he went away and prayed, “My Father, if it’s not possible that this cup be taken away unless I drink it, then let it be what you want.”
43Again he came and found them sleeping. Their eyes were heavy with sleep. 44But he left them and again went and prayed the same words for the third time. 45Then he came to his disciples and said to them, “Will you sleep and rest all night? Look, the time has come for the Human One#26.45 Or Son of Man to be betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Get up. Let’s go. Look, here comes my betrayer.”
Arrest
47While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, came. With him was a large crowd carrying swords and clubs. They had been sent by the chief priests and elders of the people. 48His betrayer had given them a sign: “Arrest the man I kiss.” 49Just then he came to Jesus and said, “Hello, Rabbi.” Then he kissed him.
50But Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came and grabbed Jesus and arrested him.
51One of those with Jesus reached for his sword. Striking the high priest’s slave, he cut off his ear. 52Then Jesus said to him, “Put the sword back into its place. All those who use the sword will die by the sword. 53Or do you think that I’m not able to ask my Father and he will send to me more than twelve battle groups#26.53 Or legions (of the Roman army, about five thousand soldiers each) of angels right away? 54But if I did that, how would the scriptures be fulfilled that say this must happen?” 55Then Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come with swords and clubs to arrest me, like a thief? Day after day, I sat in the temple teaching, but you didn’t arrest me. 56But all this has happened so that what the prophets said in the scriptures might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left Jesus and ran away.
Jesus before the council
57Those who arrested Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest. The legal experts and the elders had gathered there. 58Peter followed him from a distance until he came to the high priest’s courtyard. He entered that area and sat outside with the officers to see how it would turn out.
59The chief priests and the whole council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 60They didn’t find anything they could use from the many false witnesses who were willing to come forward. But finally they found two 61who said, “This man said, ‘I can destroy God’s temple and rebuild it in three days.’”
62Then the high priest stood and said to Jesus, “Aren’t you going to respond to the testimony these people have brought against you?”
63But Jesus was silent.
The high priest said, “By the living God, I demand that you tell us whether you are the Christ, God’s Son.”
64“You said it,” Jesus replied. “But I say to you that from now on you’ll see the Human One#26.64 Or Son of Man sitting on the right side of the Almighty#26.64 Or the Power and coming on the heavenly clouds.”#26.64 Dan 7:13
65Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He’s insulting God! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, you’ve heard his insult against God. 66What do you think?”
And they answered, “He deserves to die!” 67Then they spit in his face and beat him. They hit him 68and said, “Prophesy for us, Christ! Who hit you?”
Peter’s denial
69Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant woman came and said to him, “You were also with Jesus the Galilean.”
70But he denied it in front of all of them, saying, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
71When he went over to the gate, another woman saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.”
72With a solemn pledge, he denied it again, saying, “I don’t know the man.”
73A short time later those standing there came and said to Peter, “You must be one of them. The way you talk gives you away.”
74Then he cursed and swore, “I don’t know the man!” At that very moment the rooster crowed. 75Peter remembered Jesus’ words, “Before the rooster crows you will deny me three times.”And Peter went out and cried uncontrollably.
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Matthew 26: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Matthew 26
26
The Plan to Kill Jesus
1After Jesus finished saying all these things, he told his followers, 2“You know that the day after tomorrow is the day of the Passover Feast. On that day the Son of Man will be given to his enemies to be crucified.”
3Then the leading priests and the elders had a meeting at the palace of the high priest, named Caiaphas. 4At the meeting, they planned to set a trap to arrest Jesus and kill him. 5But they said, “We must not do it during the feast, because the people might cause a riot.”
Perfume for Jesus’ Burial
6Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon, who had a skin disease. 7While Jesus was there, a woman approached him with an alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. She poured this perfume on Jesus’ head while he was eating.
8His followers were upset when they saw the woman do this. They asked, “Why waste that perfume? 9It could have been sold for a great deal of money and the money given to the poor.”
10Knowing what had happened, Jesus said, “Why are you troubling this woman? She did an excellent thing for me. 11You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. 12This woman poured perfume on my body to prepare me for burial. 13I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached in all the world, what this woman has done will be told, and people will remember her.”
Judas Becomes an Enemy of Jesus
14Then one of the twelve apostles, Judas Iscariot, went to talk to the leading priests. 15He said, “What will you pay me for giving Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty silver coins. 16After that, Judas watched for the best time to turn Jesus in.
Jesus Eats the Passover Meal
17On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the followers came to Jesus. They said, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover meal?”
18Jesus answered, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: “The chosen time is near. I will have the Passover with my followers at your house.” ’ ” 19The followers did what Jesus told them to do, and they prepared the Passover meal.
20In the evening Jesus was sitting at the table with his twelve followers. 21As they were eating, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will turn against me.”
22This made the followers very sad. Each one began to say to Jesus, “Surely, Lord, I am not the one who will turn against you, am I?”
23Jesus answered, “The man who has dipped his hand with me into the bowl is the one who will turn against me. 24The Son of Man will die, just as the Scriptures say. But how terrible it will be for the person who hands the Son of Man over to be killed. It would be better for him if he had never been born.”
25Then Judas, who would give Jesus to his enemies, said to Jesus, “Teacher, surely I am not the one, am I?”
Jesus answered, “Yes, it is you.”
The Lord’s Supper
26While they were eating, Jesus took some bread and thanked God for it and broke it. Then he gave it to his followers and said, “Take this bread and eat it; this is my body.”
27Then Jesus took a cup and thanked God for it and gave it to the followers. He said, “Every one of you drink this. 28This is my blood which is the new agreement that God makes with his people. This blood is poured out for many to forgive their sins. 29I tell you this: I will not drink of this fruit of the vine again until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
30After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus’ Followers Will Leave Him
31Jesus told his followers, “Tonight you will all stumble in your faith on account of me, because it is written in the Scriptures:
‘I will kill the shepherd,
and the sheep will scatter.’#Zechariah 13:7
32But after I rise from the dead, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
33Peter said, “Everyone else may stumble in their faith because of you, but I will not.”
34Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, tonight before the rooster crows you will say three times that you don’t know me.”
35But Peter said, “I will never say that I don’t know you! I will even die with you!” And all the other followers said the same thing.
Jesus Prays Alone
36Then Jesus went with his followers to a place called Gethsemane. He said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him, and he began to be very sad and troubled. 38He said to them, “My heart is full of sorrow, to the point of death. Stay here and watch with me.”
39After walking a little farther away from them, Jesus fell to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, do not give me this cup of suffering. But do what you want, not what I want.” 40Then Jesus went back to his followers and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “You men could not stay awake with me for one hour? 41Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. The spirit wants to do what is right, but the body is weak.”
42Then Jesus went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this painful thing to be taken from me, and if I must do it, I pray that what you want will be done.”
43Then he went back to his followers, and again he found them asleep, because their eyes were heavy. 44So Jesus left them and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing.
45Then Jesus went back to his followers and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinful people. 46Get up, we must go. Look, here comes the man who has turned against me.”
Jesus Is Arrested
47While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve apostles, came up. With him were many people carrying swords and clubs who had been sent from the leading priests and the Jewish elders of the people. 48Judas had planned to give them a signal, saying, “The man I kiss is Jesus. Arrest him.” 49At once Judas went to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Teacher!” and kissed him.
50Jesus answered, “Friend, do what you came to do.”
Then the people came and grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51When that happened, one of Jesus’ followers reached for his sword and pulled it out. He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
52Jesus said to the man, “Put your sword back in its place. All who use swords will be killed with swords. 53Surely you know I could ask my Father, and he would give me more than twelve armies of angels. 54But it must happen this way to bring about what the Scriptures say.”
55Then Jesus said to the crowd, “You came to get me with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal. Every day I sat in the Temple teaching, and you did not arrest me there. 56But all these things have happened so that it will come about as the prophets wrote.” Then all of Jesus’ followers left him and ran away.
Jesus Before the Leaders
57Those people who arrested Jesus led him to the house of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders were gathered. 58Peter followed far behind to the courtyard of the high priest’s house, and he sat down with the guards to see what would happen to Jesus.
59The leading priests and the whole Jewish council tried to find something false against Jesus so they could kill him. 60Many people came and told lies about him, but the council could find no real reason to kill him. Then two people came and said, 61“This man said, ‘I can destroy the Temple of God and build it again in three days.’ ”
62Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Aren’t you going to answer? Don’t you have something to say about their charges against you?” 63But Jesus said nothing.
Again the high priest said to Jesus, “I command you by the power of the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
64Jesus answered, “Those are your words. But I tell you, in the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of God, the Powerful One, and coming on clouds in the sky.”
65When the high priest heard this, he tore his clothes and said, “This man has said things that are against God! We don’t need any more witnesses; you all heard him say these things against God. 66What do you think?”
The people answered, “He should die.”
67Then the people there spat in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. Others slapped him. 68They said, “Prove to us that you are a prophet, you Christ! Tell us who hit you!”
Peter Says He Doesn’t Know Jesus
69At that time, as Peter was sitting in the courtyard, a servant girl came to him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”
70But Peter said to all the people there that he was never with Jesus. He said, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
71When he left the courtyard and was at the gate, another girl saw him. She said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72Again, Peter said he was never with him, saying, “I swear I don’t know this man Jesus!”
73A short time later, some people standing there went to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of those who followed Jesus. The way you talk shows it.”
74Then Peter began to place a curse on himself and swear, “I don’t know the man.” At once, a rooster crowed. 75And Peter remembered what Jesus had told him: “Before the rooster crows, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Then Peter went outside and cried painfully.
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.