Matthew 26:14-25

Contemporary English Version

Judas and the Chief Priests

(Mark 14.10,11; Luke 22.3-6)

¹⁴ Judas Iscariot^[a] was one of the twelve disciples. He went to the chief priests ^15 (A) and asked, “How much will you give me if I help you arrest Jesus?” They paid Judas 30 silver coins, ¹⁶ and from then on he started looking for a good chance to betray Jesus.

Jesus Eats the Passover Meal with His Disciples

(Mark 14.12-21; Luke 22.7-13; John 13.21-30)

¹⁷ On the first day of the Festival of Thin Bread, Jesus' disciples came to him and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal?”

¹⁸ Jesus told them to go to a certain man in the city and tell him, “Our teacher says, ‘My time has come! I want to eat the Passover meal with my disciples in your home.’ ” ¹⁹ They did as Jesus told them and prepared the meal.

^20-21 When Jesus was eating with his twelve disciples that evening, he said, “One of you will surely hand me over to my enemies.”

²² The disciples were very sad, and each one said to Jesus, “Lord, you can't mean me!”

^23 (B) He answered, “One of you men who has eaten with me from this dish will betray me. ²⁴ The Son of Man will die, as the Scriptures say. But it's going to be terrible for the one who betrays me! That man would be better off if he had never been born.”

²⁵ Judas said, “Teacher, you surely don't mean me!”

“That's what you say!” Jesus replied. But later, Judas did betray him.