Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives^(A)

³⁹ Jesus went out as usual^(B) to the Mount of Olives,^(C) and his disciples followed him. ⁴⁰ On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”^{(D) 41} He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down^(E) and prayed, ⁴² “Father, if you are willing, take this cup^(F) from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”^{(G) 43} An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.^{(H) 44} And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.^[a]

⁴⁵ When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. ⁴⁶ “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”^(I)

Jesus Arrested^(J)

⁴⁷ While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, ⁴⁸ but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

⁴⁹ When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?”^{(K) 50} And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

⁵¹ But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.

⁵² Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard,^(L) and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? ⁵³ Every day I was with you in the temple courts,^(M) and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour^(N)—when darkness reigns.”^(O)

Peter Disowns Jesus^(P)

⁵⁴ Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest.^(Q) Peter followed at a distance.^{(R) 55} And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. ⁵⁶ A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”

⁵⁷ But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.

⁵⁸ A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”

“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.

⁵⁹ About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”^(S)

⁶⁰ Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. ⁶¹ The Lord^(T) turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.”^{(U) 62} And he went outside and wept bitterly.

The Guards Mock Jesus^(V)

⁶³ The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. ⁶⁴ They blindfolded him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” ⁶⁵ And they said many other insulting things to him.^(W)

Jesus Before Pilate and Herod^(X)(Y)(Z)

⁶⁶ At daybreak the council^(AA) of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together,^(AB) and Jesus was led before them. ⁶⁷ “If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.”

Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, ⁶⁸ and if I asked you, you would not answer.^{(AC) 69} But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”^(AD)

⁷⁰ They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?”^(AE)

He replied, “You say that I am.”^(AF)

⁷¹ Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.”

23 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate.^{(AG) 2} And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation.^(AH) He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar^(AI) and claims to be Messiah, a king.”^(AJ)

³ So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

⁴ Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”^(AK)

⁵ But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee^(AL) and has come all the way here.”

⁶ On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean.^{(AM) 7} When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod,^(AN) who was also in Jerusalem at that time.

⁸ When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him.^(AO) From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. ⁹ He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer.^{(AP) 10} The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. ¹¹ Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe,^(AQ) they sent him back to Pilate. ¹² That day Herod and Pilate became friends^(AR)—before this they had been enemies.

¹³ Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, ¹⁴ and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.^{(AS) 15} Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. ¹⁶ Therefore, I will punish him^(AT) and then release him.” ^[17] [b]

¹⁸ But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!”^{(AU) 19} (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

²⁰ Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. ²¹ But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

²² For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”^(AV)

²³ But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. ²⁴ So Pilate decided to grant their demand. ²⁵ He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

Psalm 22^[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David.