Mark 14-16

New Catholic Bible

The Mystery Is Fully Manifested in the Passion and Resurrection^[a]

Chapter 14

The Plot against Jesus.^{[b] 1} It was now two days before the Passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread, and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking to arrest Jesus by deceit and put him to death. ² They said, “It must not occur during the feast, or the people may begin to riot.”

A Woman of Bethany Anoints Jesus.^{[c] 3} When Jesus was in Bethany reclining at table in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came in with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, made of pure nard. She broke open the jar and poured the ointment over his head. ⁴ Some of those present said to one another indignantly, “Why was this ointment wasted in such a manner? ⁵ It could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii,^[d] with the money given to the poor.” And they began to rebuke her sharply.

⁶ However, Jesus said, “Let her alone! Why are you bothering her? She has performed a good action toward me. ⁷ The poor you will always have with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish, but you will not always have me. ⁸ She has done what she could. She has anointed my body to prepare for my burial. ⁹ Amen, I say to you, wherever in the whole world this gospel is proclaimed, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”

¹⁰ Judas Betrays Jesus.^[e] Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests and offered to hand him over to them. ¹¹ They were delighted when they heard his proposal, and they promised to give him money. Then he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.

¹² The Preparations for the Passover.^[f] On the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, the disciples said to Jesus, “Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

¹³ He sent forth two of his disciples, instructing them: “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jug of water will meet you. Follow him! ¹⁴ Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: “Where is the room where I can eat the Passover with my disciples?” ’ ¹⁵ Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.” ¹⁶ The disciples went forth, entered the city, and found everything just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

¹⁷ The Treachery of Judas Foretold.^[g] Now when evening came, he arrived with the Twelve. ¹⁸ And as they reclined at table and were eating, Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” ¹⁹ On hearing this they began to be distressed and to say to him, one after another, “Is it I?”

²⁰ He said to them, “It is one of the Twelve, one who is dipping bread into the bowl with me. ²¹ For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had never been born.”

²² The Last Supper.^[h] While they were eating he took bread, and after he had pronounced the blessing, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” ²³ Then he took a cup, and after offering thanks he gave it to them. After they all drank from it, ²⁴ he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many. ²⁵ Amen, I say to you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I shall drink it anew in the kingdom of God.”

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

²⁷ Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial.^[i] Then Jesus said to them, “You will all be scandalized, for it is written:

²⁸ But after I have been raised up, I shall go ahead of you to Galilee.” ²⁹ Peter said to him, “Even if all the others will be scandalized, I will never be.” ³⁰ Jesus replied, “Amen, I say to you, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.” ³¹ But Peter insisted, “If I have to die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same thing.

³² The Agony in the Garden.^[j] Then they went to a place that was called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” ³³ He took with him Peter and James and John, and he began to suffer distress and anguish. ³⁴ And he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful, even to the point of death. Remain here and keep watch.”

³⁵ Moving on a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass him by, ³⁶ saying, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible. Take this cup from me. Yet not my will but yours be done.”

³⁷ Returning to the disciples, he found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? ³⁸ Stay awake and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is indeed willing but the flesh is weak.”

³⁹ Again, he went apart and prayed, saying the same words. ⁴⁰ Then he came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to say to him. ⁴¹ When he returned a third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come when the Son of Man is to be betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴² Get up! Let us go! Look, my betrayer is approaching.”

⁴³ Jesus Is Arrested.^[k] At once, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him there was a crowd of men, armed with swords and clubs, who had been sent by the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. ⁴⁴ Now his betrayer had agreed with them on a signal, saying, “The one I shall kiss is the man. Arrest him, and lead him away under guard!” ⁴⁵ And so, when he came, he proceeded directly to Jesus and said “Rabbi!” and kissed him. ⁴⁶ Then they seized him and placed him under arrest. ⁴⁷ Meanwhile, one of the bystanders drew his sword and struck a servant of the high priest, slicing off his ear.

⁴⁸ Then Jesus said to them, “Why are you coming forth with swords and clubs to arrest me, as though I were a bandit? ⁴⁹ Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But in this way the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” ⁵⁰ Then everyone deserted him and fled. ^51 [l]Among those who had followed Jesus was a young man wearing nothing but a linen cloth. They caught hold of him, ⁵² but he slipped out of the linen cloth and ran off naked.

⁵³ Jesus Is Condemned by the Sanhedrin.^[m] They led Jesus away to the high priest, where the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes were gathering. ⁵⁴ Meanwhile, Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest, and he was sitting there with the attendants, warming himself at the fire.

⁵⁵ The chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin^[n] tried to elicit testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they failed in their efforts. ⁵⁶ Many witnesses offered perjured testimony against him, but their statements did not agree. ⁵⁷ Then some stood up and gave this false witness against him: ⁵⁸ “We heard this man say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands, and in three days I will build another not made with hands.’ ” ⁵⁹ But even on this point their statements did not agree.

⁶⁰ The high priest then rose among them and asked Jesus, “Have you no reply to counter the testimony that these witnesses have given?” ^61 [o]But he remained silent and offered no response. Again, the high priest questioned him, asking, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”^{[p] 62} Jesus replied, “I am.

⁶³ Thereupon the high priest tore his garments and exclaimed, “What need do we have of any further witnesses! ⁶⁴ You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” They all condemned him as guilty and deserving of death. ⁶⁵ Some of them began to spit at him. They blindfolded him and struck him, taunting him as they said, “Prophesy!” And the guards also slapped him.

⁶⁶ Peter Denies Jesus.^[q] While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the high priest’s servant girls came by. ⁶⁷ When she noticed Peter warming himself, she stared at him and said, “You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.” ⁶⁸ But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.” Thereupon he went forth into the outer courtyard. Then the cock crowed.^{[r] 69} The servant girl saw him and again began to say to the bystanders: “This man is one of them.” ⁷⁰ But again he denied it.

Shortly afterward, some bystanders said to Peter, “You are unquestionably one of them, for you are a Galilean.” ⁷¹ Then he began to shout curses, and he swore an oath: “I do not know this man you are talking about.” ⁷² At that very moment, a cock crowed for a second time, and Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

Chapter 15

Jesus before Pilate.^{[s] 1} As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a council with the elders and the scribes and the whole Sanhedrin. They bound Jesus and led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.

² Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “You have said so.” ³ Then the chief priests brought many charges against him. ⁴ Again, Pilate questioned him, “Have you no answer to offer? Just consider how many charges they are leveling against you.” ⁵ But Jesus offered no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.

Jesus Is Sentenced to Death. ⁶ Now on the occasion of the feast, he released a prisoner to them, anyone for whom they asked.^{[t] 7} At the time, a man named Barabbas was in prison along with some rebels who had committed murder during an uprising. ⁸ When the crowd came forward and began to ask him to do the customary favor for them, ⁹ Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?”^{[u] 10} For he realized that it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed him over.

¹¹ However, the chief priests incited the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. ¹² Pilate then asked, “And what shall I do with the man you call the king of the Jews?” ¹³ They shouted back, “Crucify him!” ¹⁴ Pilate asked them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they only screamed all the louder, “Crucify him!” ¹⁵ And so Pilate, anxious to appease the crowd, released Barabbas to them, and after ordering Jesus to be scourged, he handed him over to be crucified.

¹⁶ Jesus Is Crowned with Thorns.^[v] Then the soldiers led Jesus away inside the palace, that is, the Praetorium, and they called the whole cohort together. ¹⁷ They dressed him in a purple robe and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they placed it on him. ¹⁸ Then they began to salute him with the words, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ¹⁹ They repeatedly struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down before him in homage. ²⁰ And when they had finished mocking him, they stripped him of his purple robe and dressed him in his own clothes. Then they led him out to crucify him.

²¹ The Way of the Cross.^[w] They compelled a passer-by who was returning from the country to carry his cross. The man was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus.

²² Jesus Is Crucified. They brought him to the place called Golgotha, which means the place of the skull. ²³ They offered him some wine that had been mixed with myrrh, but he refused to take it. ²⁴ Then they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them to see what each should take.^[x]

²⁵ It was around nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.^{[y] 26} The inscription giving the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” ²⁷ Along with him they crucified two thieves, one on his right and the other on his left. [ ²⁸ Thus was the Scripture fulfilled that says, “And he was counted among the wicked.”]^[z]

²⁹ Those people who passed by jeered at him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who claimed you could destroy the temple and rebuild it within three days, ³⁰ save yourself and come down from the cross.”

³¹ In much the same way, the chief priests and the scribes joined in the mockery among themselves, saying, “He saved others, but he cannot save himself. ³² Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down from the cross right now so that we may see it and come to believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.

³³ Jesus Dies on the Cross.^[aa] Beginning at midday, there was darkness over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ³⁴ At three o’clock, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

³⁵ On hearing this, some of the bystanders said, “Listen! He is calling Elijah.” ³⁶ Someone ran off, soaked a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait! Let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.”

³⁷ Then Jesus cried out in a loud voice and breathed his last. ³⁸ And the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two, from top to bottom. ³⁹ When the centurion who was standing facing him saw how Jesus had breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God.”

⁴⁰ A number of women were also present, looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger^[ab] and of Joses, and Salome. ⁴¹ These women used to follow Jesus when he was in Galilee and minister to his needs. And there were many other women there who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

⁴² Jesus Is Placed in the Tomb.^[ac] It was the Day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath. So when evening came, ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also awaiting the kingdom of God, boldly went to Pilate and requested the body of Jesus. ⁴⁴ Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead, and he summoned the centurion to ascertain that Jesus had indeed died. ⁴⁵ When he learned from the centurion that such was the case, he turned over the body to Joseph.

⁴⁶ Having purchased a linen shroud, he lowered Jesus from the cross, wrapped him in the shroud, and laid him in a tomb that had been hewn out of rock. He then rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. ⁴⁷ Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was buried.

Chapter 16

Jesus Is Raised from the Dead.^{[ad] 1} When the Sabbath was over,^[ae] Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome purchased aromatic spices so that they might go and anoint Jesus. ² And very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they went to the tomb.

³ They had been asking each other, “Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” ⁴ But when they looked up, they observed that the stone, which was extremely large, had already been rolled back. ⁵ On entering the tomb, they saw a young man arrayed in a white robe sitting on the right hand side, and they were stunned.

⁶ He said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised. He is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷ But go forth and tell his disciples and Peter: ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see him just as he told you.’ ” ⁸ Then the women emerged from the tomb and fled, overcome with trembling and amazement. They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Appendix

The Longer Ending^[af]

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene. After he had risen from the dead early on the first day of the week, Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had driven out seven demons. ¹⁰ She then went forth and related the story of his appearance to his mourning and weeping companions. ¹¹ However, when they heard that he was alive and that she had seen him, they refused to believe it.

¹² Jesus Appears to Two Disciples. After this, Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them as they were on their way into the country. ¹³ They then returned and reported the news to the others, but they did not believe them either.

¹⁴ Jesus Appears to and Commissions the Eleven. Still later, he appeared to the eleven while they were at table. He reproached them for their lack of faith and their hardness of heart because they refused to believe the witness of those who had seen him after he had risen.

¹⁵ Then he said to them, “Go forth into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to all creation. ¹⁶ Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷ These are the signs that will mark those who believe: In my name they will cast out demons. They will be granted the gift of speaking in new languages. ¹⁸ If they pick up serpents in their hands or drink any deadly poison, they will remain unharmed. The sick on whom they lay their hands will recover.”

¹⁹ Jesus Ascends to Heaven. Then, after he had spoken to them, the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven, and there he took his place at the right hand of God. ²⁰ And they went forth to proclaim the gospel everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word by means of the signs that accompanied their preaching.

Noncanonical Endings

The Shorter Ending.^[ag] And they reported all the instructions briefly to Peter and his companions. Afterward, through them Jesus sent forth from east to west the sacred and perpetual proclamation of eternal salvation.

The Freer Logion.^[ah] And they excused themselves, saying, “This age of lawlessness and unbelief is under Satan, who does not allow the truth and power of God to prevail over the unclean things of the spirit. Therefore, reveal your righteousness now”—thus they spoke to Christ. And Christ replied to them, “The limit of the years of Satan’s power has been reached, but other terrible things draw near. And for those who sinned I was handed over to death, that they might return to the truth and no longer sin, in order that they might inherit the spiritual and incorruptible glory of righteousness, which is in heaven.”