1. Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and kill [Him];

2. for they were saying, "Not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the people."

3. While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining [at the table], there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; [and] she broke the vial and poured it over His head.

4. But some were indignantly [remarking] to one another, "Why has this perfume been wasted?

5. "For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and [the money] given to the poor." And they were scolding her.

6. But Jesus said, "Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me.

7. "For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me.

8. "She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.

9. "Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her."

10. Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them.

11. They were glad when they heard [this], and promised to give him money. And he [began] seeking how to betray Him at an opportune time.

12. On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover [lamb] was being sacrificed, His disciples said to Him, "Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?"

13. And He sent two of His disciples and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him;

14. and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'

15. "And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished [and] ready; prepare for us there."

16. The disciples went out and came to the city, and found [it] just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

17. When it was evening He came with the twelve.

18. As they were reclining [at the table] and eating, Jesus said, "Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me-- one who is eating with Me."

19. They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, "Surely not I?"

20. And He said to them, "[It is] one of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl.

21. "For the Son of Man [is to] go just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! [It would have been] good for that man if he had not been born."

22. While they were eating, He took [some] bread, and after a blessing He broke [it], and gave [it] to them, and said, "Take [it]; this is My body."

23. And when He had taken a cup [and] given thanks, He gave [it] to them, and they all drank from it.

24. And He said to them, "This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.

25. "Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

26. After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

27. And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, because it is written, 'I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP SHALL BE SCATTERED.'

28. "But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee."

29. But Peter said to Him, "[Even] though all may fall away, yet I will not."

30. And Jesus said to him, "Truly I say to you, that this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you yourself will deny Me three times."

31. But [Peter] kept saying insistently, "[Even] if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And they all were saying the same thing also.

32. They came to a place named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here until I have prayed."

33. And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled.

34. And He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch."

35. And He went a little beyond [them], and fell to the ground and [began] to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by.

36. And He was saying, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will."

37. And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?

38. "Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

39. Again He went away and prayed, saying the same words.

40. And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.

41. And He came the third time, and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough; the hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

42. "Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!"

43. Immediately while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs, [who were] from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.

44. Now he who was betraying Him had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away under guard."

45. After coming, Judas immediately went to Him, saying, "Rabbi!" and kissed Him.

46. They laid hands on Him and seized Him.

47. But one of those who stood by drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.

48. And Jesus said to them, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me, as [you would] against a robber?

49. "Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me; but [this has] [taken place] to fulfill the Scriptures."

50. And they all left Him and fled.

51. A young man was following Him, wearing [nothing but] a linen sheet over [his] naked [body]; and they seized him.

52. But he pulled free of the linen sheet and escaped naked.

53. They led Jesus away to the high priest; and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes gathered together.

54. Peter had followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the officers and warming himself at the fire.

55. Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, and they were not finding any.

56. For many were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimony was not consistent.

57. Some stood up and [began] to give false testimony against Him, saying,

58. "We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.'"

59. Not even in this respect was their testimony consistent.

60. The high priest stood up [and came] forward and questioned Jesus, saying, "Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?"

61. But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed [One]?"

62. And Jesus said, "I am; and you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN."

63. Tearing his clothes, the high priest said, "What further need do we have of witnesses?

64. "You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?" And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.

65. Some began to spit at Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, "Prophesy!" And the officers received Him with slaps [in the face].

66. As Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came,

67. and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You also were with Jesus the Nazarene."

68. But he denied [it], saying, "I neither know nor understand what you are talking about." And he went out onto the porch, and a rooster crowed.

69. The servant-girl saw him, and began once more to say to the bystanders, "This is [one] of them!"

70. But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders were again saying to Peter, "Surely you are [one] of them, for you are a Galilean too."

71. But he began to curse and swear, "I do not know this man you are talking about!"

72. Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, "Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times." And he began to weep.