Knox Bible

1

It was now two days to the paschal feast and the time of unleavened bread; and the chief priests and scribes were trying to bring Jesus into their power by cunning, and put him to death;

2

But not on the day of the feast, they said, or there may be an uproar among the people.

3

And then, while he was in the house of Simon the leper, at Bethany, sitting at table, a woman came in with a pot of very precious spikenard ointment, which, first breaking the pot, she poured over his head.

4

There were some present who were indignant when they saw it, and said among themselves, What did she mean by wasting the ointment so?

5

This ointment might have been sold for three hundred pieces of silver, and alms might have been given to the poor. And they rebuked her angrily.

6

But Jesus said, Let her alone; why should you vex her? She did well to treat me so.

7

You have the poor among you always, so that you can do good to them when you will; I am not always among you.

8

She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand to prepare it for burial.

9

I promise you, in whatever part of the world this gospel is preached, the story of what she has done shall be told in its place, to preserve her memory.

10

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests and offered to betray him into their hands.

11

And they, listening to him eagerly, promised him money; whereupon he looked about for an opportunity to betray him.✻

12

On the first of the days of unleavened bread, when they killed the paschal victim, his disciples asked him, Where wilt thou have us go and make ready for thee to eat the paschal meal?

13

And he sent two of his disciples on this errand, Go into the city, and there a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water; you are to follow him,

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and say to the owner of the house into which he enters, The master says, Where is my room, in which I am to eat the paschal meal with my disciples?

15

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

16

So the disciples left him and went into the city, where they found all as he had told them, and so made ready for the paschal meal.

17

When it was evening, he came there with the twelve.

18

And as they sat at table and were eating, Jesus said, Believe me, one of you, one who is eating with me, is to betray me.

19

They began to ask him sorrowfully, each in turn, Is it I? and then another, Is it I?

20

He told them, It is one of the twelve, the man who puts his hand into the dish with me.

21

The Son of Man goes on his way, as the scripture foretells of him; but woe upon that man by whom the Son of Man is to be betrayed; better for that man if he had never been born.✻

22

And while they were still at table, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, Take this; this is my body.

23

Then he took a cup, and offered thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said,

24

This is my blood of the new testament, shed for many.

25

I tell you truthfully, I shall not drink of this fruit of the vine again, until the day when I drink it with you, new wine, in the kingdom of God.✻

26

And so they sang a hymn, and went out to mount Olivet.

27

And Jesus said to them, Tonight you will all lose courage over me; for so it has been written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.✻

28

But I will go on before you into Galilee, when I have risen from the dead.

29

Peter said to him, Though all else should lose courage over thee, I will never lose mine.

30

And Jesus said to him, Believe me, this night, before the second cock-crow, thou wilt thrice disown me.

31

But Peter insisted more than ever, I will not disown thee, though I must lay down my life with thee. And all of them said the like.✻

32

So they came to a plot of land called Gethsemani; and he said to his disciples, Sit down here, while I go and pray.

33

But he took Peter and James and John with him. And now he grew dismayed and distressed:

34

My soul, he said to them, is ready to die with sorrow; do you abide here, and keep watch.

35

So he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass him by:

36

Abba, Father, he said, all things are possible to thee; take away this chalice from before me; only as thy will is, not as mine is.

37

Then he went back, and found them asleep; and he said to Peter, Simon, art thou sleeping? Hadst thou not strength to watch even for an hour?

38

Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing enough, but the flesh is weak.

39

Then he went away and prayed again, using the same words.

40

And when he returned, once more he found them asleep, so heavy their eyelids were; and they did not know what answer to make to him.

41

When he came the third time, he said to them, Sleep and take your rest hereafter.✻ Enough; the time has come; behold, the Son of Man is to be betrayed into the hands of sinners.

42

Rise up, let us go on our way; already, he that is to betray me is close at hand.

43

And thereupon, while he was yet speaking, Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, came near; with him was a great multitude carrying swords and clubs, who had been sent by the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.

44

The traitor had appointed them a signal; It is none other, he said, than the man whom I shall greet with a kiss; hold him fast, and take him away under guard.

45

No sooner, then, had he come up than he went close to Jesus, saying, Hail, Master, and kissed him;

46

and with that they laid their hands on him, and held him fast.

47

And one of those who stood by drew his sword, and smote one of the high priest’s servants with it, cutting off his ear.

48

Then Jesus said to them aloud, You have come out to my arrest with swords and clubs, as if I were a robber;

49

and yet I used to teach in the temple close to you, day after day, and you never laid hands on me. But the scriptures must be fulfilled.

50

And now all his disciples abandoned him, and fled.✻

51

There was a young man there following him, who was wearing only a linen shirt on his bare body; and he, when they laid hold of him,

52

left the shirt in their hands, and ran away from them naked.

53

So they took Jesus into the presence of the high priest, and all the chief priests and elders and scribes were assembled about him.

54

Yet Peter followed at a long distance, right into the high priest’s palace, and there sat down with the servants by the fire, to warm himself.

55

The high priest and all the council tried to find an accusation against Jesus, such as would compass his death, but they could find none;

56

many accused him falsely, but their accusations did not agree.

57

There were some who stood up and falsely accused him thus:

58

We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made by men’s hands, and in three days I will build another, with no hand of man to help me.✻

59

But even so their accusations did not agree.

60

Then the high priest stood up, and asked Jesus, Hast thou no answer to the accusations these men bring against thee?

61

He was still silent, still did not answer; and the high priest questioned him again, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the blessed God?

62

Jesus said to him, I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of God’s power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.

63

At this, the high priest tore his garments, and said, What further need have we of witnesses?

64

You have heard his blasphemy for yourselves; what is your finding? And they all pronounced against him a sentence of death.

65

Then some of them fell to spitting upon him, and covering his face while they buffeted him and bade him prophesy; the servants, too, caught him blows on the cheek.

66

Meanwhile, Peter was in the court without, and one of the maid-servants of the high priest came by;

67

she saw Peter warming himself, and said, looking closely at him, Thou too wast with Jesus the Nazarene.

68

Whereupon he denied it; I know nothing of it, I do not understand what thou meanest. Then he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.

69

Again the maid looked at him, and said to the bystanders, This is one of them.✻

70

And again he denied it. Then, a little while afterwards, the bystanders said to Peter, It is certain that thou art one of them; why, thou art a Galilean.

71

And he fell to calling down curses on himself and swearing, I do not know the man you speak of.

72

Then came the second cock-crow; and Peter remembered the word Jesus had said to him, Before the second cock-crow thou wilt thrice deny me. And all at once he burst out weeping.✻