Mark 14:27-52

Living Bible

²⁷ “All of you will desert me,” Jesus told them, “for God has declared through the prophets, ‘I will kill the Shepherd, and the sheep will scatter.’ ²⁸ But after I am raised to life again, I will go to Galilee and meet you there.”

²⁹ Peter said to him, “I will never desert you no matter what the others do!”

³⁰ “Peter,” Jesus said, “before the cock crows a second time tomorrow morning you will deny me three times.”

³¹ “No!” Peter exploded. “Not even if I have to die with you! I’ll never deny you!” And all the others vowed the same.

³² And now they came to an olive grove called the Garden of Gethsemane, and he instructed his disciples, “Sit here, while I go and pray.”

³³ He took Peter, James, and John with him and began to be filled with horror and deepest distress. ³⁴ And he said to them, “My soul is crushed by sorrow to the point of death; stay here and watch with me.”

³⁵ He went on a little farther and fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the awful hour awaiting him might never come.^[a]

³⁶ “Father, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take away this cup from me. Yet I want your will, not mine.”

³⁷ Then he returned to the three disciples and found them asleep.

“Simon!” he said. “Asleep? Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? ³⁸ Watch with me and pray lest the Tempter overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak.”

³⁹ And he went away again and prayed, repeating his pleadings. ⁴⁰ Again he returned to them and found them sleeping, for they were very tired. And they didn’t know what to say.

⁴¹ The third time when he returned to them he said, “Sleep on; get your rest! But no! The time for sleep has ended! Look! I am^[b] betrayed into the hands of wicked men. ⁴² Come! Get up! We must go! Look! My betrayer is here!”

⁴³ And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas (one of his disciples) arrived with a mob equipped with swords and clubs, sent out by the chief priests and other Jewish leaders.

⁴⁴ Judas had told them, “You will know which one to arrest when I go over and greet^[c] him. Then you can take him easily.” ⁴⁵ So as soon as they arrived he walked up to Jesus. “Master!” he exclaimed, and embraced him with a great show of friendliness. ⁴⁶ Then the mob arrested Jesus and held him fast. ⁴⁷ But someone^[d] pulled a sword and slashed at the high priest’s servant, cutting off his ear.

⁴⁸ Jesus asked them, “Am I some dangerous robber, that you come like this, armed to the teeth to capture me? ⁴⁹ Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. But these things are happening to fulfill the prophecies about me.”

⁵⁰ Meanwhile, all his disciples had fled. ^51-52 There was, however, a young man following along behind, clothed only in a linen nightshirt.^[e] When the mob tried to grab him, he escaped, though his clothes were torn off in the process, so that he ran away completely naked.