1 Two days later it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest him by trickery and put him to death.
2 But they kept saying, "Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people."
3 While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfumed oil of pure nard; she broke the jar and poured it over his head.
4 But some were indignant among themselves and said, "Why has this perfumed oil been wasted?
5 This could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor." And they scolded her harshly.
6 But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why are you causing her trouble? It is a fine deed that she has done for me.
7 For the poor you always have with you, and whenever you want you can do them good; but me you do not always have.
8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.
9 Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in all the world, what she has done will also be spoken of in memory of her."
10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests to hand him over to them.
11 When they heard it, they were delighted and promised to give him money. So he was looking for how he might conveniently betray him.
12 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they would sacrifice the Passover lamb, his disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and get things ready for you to eat the Passover?"
13 He sent off two of his disciples and told them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him,
14 and wherever he goes in, say to the householder, 'The Teacher says, "Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"'
15 He will show you a large upstairs room, furnished and ready. Get things ready for us there."
16 His disciples went off, came into the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they got the Passover ready.
17 When evening had come, he arrived with the twelve.
18 While they were reclining at 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 after another, "Surely it is not I?" And another, "Surely it is not I?"
20 He answered them, "It is one of the twelve, the one dipping into the dish with me.
21 The Son of Man is going away just as it has been written about him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had never been born."
22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body."
23 Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and handed it to them, and they all drank from it.
24 He said to them, "This is my blood of the new covenant, which is being poured out for many.
25 Truly I say to you, I will certainly not drink again 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 Jesus told them, "All of you will stumble because of me this night; for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'
28 But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."
29 Peter said to him, "Even if all stumble, I will not."
30 Jesus told him, "Truly I say to you that today, this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times."
31 But he kept insisting all the more, "Even if I have to die with you, I will certainly not deny you!" And they all said the same thing.
32 They came to a place called Gethsemane, and he told his disciples, "Sit here while I pray."
33 Taking along Peter, James, and John, he began to be overwhelmed with alarm and greatly troubled.
34 He said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow, to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch."
35 Going on a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass away from him.
36 He said, "Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
37 Then he came and found them asleep, and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping? Were you not able to keep watch for one hour?
38 Keep watching and praying, so that you will not come into temptation. The spirit is eager, but the flesh is weak."
39 He went away again and prayed, saying the same thing.
40 Coming back, he again found them asleep, because their eyes were weighed down; and they did not know what to answer him.
41 He came the third time and said to them, "Sleep on now, and take your rest. It is enough; the hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
42 Get up, let us go. Look, the one betraying me has drawn near."
43 At once, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived, and with him a large crowd with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.
44 His betrayer had given them a signal: "Whomever I kiss, he is the one; arrest him and lead him away under guard."
45 As soon as he came, he went straight up to him and said, "Rabbi, Rabbi!" and kissed him warmly.
46 Then they laid their hands on him and arrested him.
47 But one of those standing by drew his sword, struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his ear.
48 Jesus responded, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to capture me as though I were a robber?
49 Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But this is so that the Scriptures may be fulfilled."
50 Then they all deserted him and fled.
51 A certain young man was following him, wearing a linen cloth around his naked body; and the young men seized him,
52 but he left the linen cloth behind and ran away from them naked.
53 They took Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes assembled with him.
54 Peter followed him from a distance, right into the high priest's courtyard, and he was sitting with the attendants, warming himself by the fire.
55 The chief priests and the whole Council kept looking for testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death, but they found none.
56 For many were giving false testimony against him, but their statements did not agree.
57 Then some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying,
58 "We heard him say, 'I will tear down this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another not made with hands.'"
59 But even so their testimony did not agree.
60 Then the high priest stood up in the middle and questioned Jesus, "Have you no answer to give? What are these men testifying against you?"
61 But he kept silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest questioned him, saying to him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"
62 Jesus said, "I am. And you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven."
63 Then the high priest ripped his garments and said, "Why do we still need witnesses?
64 You have heard the blasphemy. What is your verdict?" And they all condemned him as deserving death.
65 Then some began to spit on him, to cover his face, to beat him with their fists, and to say to him, "Prophesy!" And the attendants struck him with slaps.
66 While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the high priest's servant girls came by.
67 Seeing Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him and said, "You too were with Jesus the Nazarene."
68 But he denied it, saying, "I do not know or understand what you are talking about." Then he went out into the entryway, and a rooster crowed.
69 The servant girl saw him and began again to tell the bystanders, "This man is one of them."
70 But again he denied it. A little later the bystanders again said to Peter, "You certainly are one of them, for you are a Galilean, and your way of speaking matches."
71 Then he began to call down curses and to swear, "I do not know this man you are talking about!"
72 And a rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: "Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." And when he thought about it, he wept.