Knox Bible

1

And now the feast of unleavened bread, the paschal feast, as it is called, was draw-ing near.

2

The chief priests and scribes were still at a loss for some means of making away with him, frightened as they were of the people.

3

But now Satan found his way into the heart of Judas, who was also called Iscariot, one of the twelve,

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and he went off and conferred with the chief priests and magistrates about the means to betray Jesus.

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These gladly consented to pay him a sum of money;

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so he promised to do it, and looked about for an opportunity to hand him over without any commotion.

7

Then the day of unleavened bread came; on this day, the paschal victim must be killed;

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and Jesus sent Peter and John on an errand; Go and make ready for us, he said, to eat the paschal meal.

9

When they asked him, Where wouldst thou have us make ready?

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he said to them, Just as you are entering the city, you will be met by a man carrying a jar of water; follow him into the house to which he is going;

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and there you will say to the owner of the house, The master sends word, Where is the room in which I am to eat the paschal meal with my disciples?

12

And he will shew you a large upper room, furnished; it is there that you are to make ready.

13

So they went, and found all as he had told them, and so made ready for the paschal meal.

14

And when the time came, he sat down with his twelve disciples.

15

And he said to them, I have longed and longed to share this paschal meal with you before my passion;

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I tell you, I shall not eat it again, till it finds its fulfilment in the kingdom of God.

17

And he took a cup, and blessed it, and said, Take this and share it among you;

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I tell you, I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine again, till the kingdom of God has come.

19

Then he took bread, and blessed and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, This is my body, given for you; do this for a commemoration of me.

20

And so with the cup, when supper was ended, This cup, he said, is the new testament, in my blood which is to be shed for you.

21

And now, the hand of my betrayer rests on this table, at my side.

22

The Son of Man goes on his way, for so it has been ordained; but woe upon that man by whom he is to be betrayed.

23

Thereupon they fell to surmising among themselves, which of them it was that would do this.✻

24

And there was rivalry between them over the question, which of them was to be accounted the greatest.

25

But he told them, The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who bear rule over them win the name of benefactors.

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With you it is not to be so; no difference is to be made, among you, between the greatest and the youngest of all, between him who commands and him who serves.

27

Tell me, which is greater, the man who sits at table, or the man who serves him? Surely the man who sits at table; yet I am here among you as your servant.

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You are the men who have kept to my side in my hours of trial:

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and, as my Father has allotted a kingdom to me, so I allot to you

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a place to eat and drink at my table in my kingdom; you shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

31

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has claimed power over you all, so that he can sift you like wheat:

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but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith may not fail; when, after a while, thou hast come back to me, it is for thee to be the support of thy brethren.

33

Lord, said he, I am ready to bear thee company, though it were to prison or to death.

34

But he answered, I tell thee, Peter, by cock-crow this morning thou wilt thrice have denied knowledge of me. Then he said to them,

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Did you go in want of anything, when I sent you out without purse, or wallet, or shoes?

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They told him, Nothing; and he said, But now it is time for a man to take his purse with him, if he has one, and his wallet too; and to sell his cloak and buy a sword, if he has none.

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Believe me, one word has been written that has yet to find its fulfilment in me, And he was counted among the malefactors. Sure enough, all that has been written of me must be fulfilled.✻

38

See, Lord, they told him, here are two swords. And he said to them, That is enough.

39

And now he went out, as his custom was, to mount Olivet, his disciples following him.

40

When he reached the place, he said to them, Pray that you may not enter into temptation.

41

Then he parted from them, going a stone’s throw off, and knelt down to pray;

42

Father, he said, if it pleases thee, take away this chalice from before me; only as thy will is, not as mine is.

43

And he had sight of an angel from heaven, encouraging him. And now he was in an agony, and prayed still more earnestly;

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his sweat fell to the ground like thick drops of blood.

45

When he rose from his prayer, he went back to his disciples, and found that they were sleeping, overwrought with sorrow.

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How can you sleep? he asked. Rise up and pray, so that you may not enter into temptation.

47

Even as he spoke, a multitude came near; their guide was the man called Judas, one of the twelve, who came close to Jesus, to kiss him.

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Jesus said to him, Judas, wouldst thou betray the Son of Man with a kiss?

49

Then those who were about him, seeing what would come of it, asked, Lord, shall we strike out with our swords?

50

And one of them struck a servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.

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Jesus answered, Let them have their way in this.✻ And he touched his ear, and healed him.

52

Then Jesus said to the chief priests and temple officers and elders who had come to find him, Have you come out with swords and clubs, as if I were a robber?

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I was close to you in the temple, day after day, and you never laid hands on me. But your time has come now, and darkness has its will.✻

54

So they apprehended him, and led him away to the house of the high priest; and Peter followed at a long distance.

55

They had lit a fire in the midst of the court, and were sitting round it; and there Peter sat among them.

56

One of the maidservants, as she saw him sitting there in the firelight, looked closely at him and said, This is one of those who were with him.

57

And he disowned him; Woman, he said, I have no knowledge of him.

58

After a short while, another of the company said, when he caught sight of him, Thou too art one of them; and Peter said, Man, I am not.✻

59

Then there was an interval of about an hour, before another man insisted, It is the truth that this fellow was in his company; why, he is a Galilean.

60

Man, said Peter, I do not understand what thou meanest; and all at once, while the words were on his lips, the cock crew.

61

And the Lord turned, and looked at Peter; and Peter remembered what the Lord had said to him, Before cock-crow, thou wilt thrice disown me.

62

And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

63

The men who held Jesus prisoner beat him and mocked him;

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they blindfolded him and struck him on the face, and then questioned him, Come, prophesy; tell us who it is that smote thee.✻

65

And they used many other blasphemous words against him.

66

When day came, all the elders of the people, chief priests and scribes, brought him before their council; If thou art the Christ, they said, tell us.

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Why, he said, if I tell you, you will never believe me:

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and if I ask you questions, I know you will not answer them, nor acquit me.

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I will only tell you that a time is coming when the Son of Man will be seated in power at God’s right hand.

70

And they all said, Thou art, then, the Son of God? He told them, Your lips have said that I am.✻

71

And they said, What further need have we of witnesses? We have heard the words from his own mouth.✻