Matthew 26
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Plot to Kill Jesus
26 When Jesus had finished saying all this,(A) He told His disciples, 2 “You know[a] that the Passover takes place after two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”(B)
3 Then the chief priests[b] and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,(C) 4 and they conspired to arrest Jesus in a treacherous way and kill Him.(D) 5 “Not during the festival,” they said, “so there won’t be rioting among the people.”
The Anointing at Bethany
6 While Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon,(E) a man who had a serious skin disease, 7 a woman approached Him with an alabaster jar of very expensive fragrant oil. She poured it on His head as He was reclining at the table. 8 When the disciples(F) saw it, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 “This might have been sold for a great deal and given to the poor.”
10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a noble thing for Me. 11 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.(G) 12 By pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she has prepared Me for burial. 13 I assure you: Wherever this gospel(H) is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.”
14 Then(I) one of the Twelve—the man called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests(J) 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” So they weighed out 30 pieces of silver for him.(K) 16 And from that time he started looking for a good opportunity to betray Him.
Betrayal at the Passover
17 On the first day of Unleavened Bread(L) the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare the Passover so You may eat it?”
18 “Go into the city to a certain man,” He said, “and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time is near; I am celebrating the Passover at your place[c] with My disciples.’”(M) 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. 20 When evening came, He was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21 While they were eating, He said, “I assure you: One of you will betray Me.”(N)
22 Deeply distressed, each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?”
23 He replied, “The one who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl—he will betray Me. 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him,(O) but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”
25 Then Judas, His betrayer, replied, “Surely not I, Rabbi?”(P)
“You have said it,” He told him.
The First Lord’s Supper
26 As they were eating,(Q) Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples,(R) and said, “Take and eat it; this is My body.”(S) 27 Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood that establishes the covenant;[d] it is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.(T) 29 But I tell you, from this moment I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it in a new way[e] in My Father’s kingdom(U) with you.” 30 After singing psalms,[f] they went out to the Mount of Olives.(V)
Peter’s Denial Predicted
31 Then Jesus said to them, “Tonight all of you will run away[g] because of Me, for it is written:
32 But after I have been resurrected, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”(X)
33 Peter told Him, “Even if everyone runs away because of You, I will never run away!”
34 “I assure you,” Jesus said to him, “tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times!”(Y)
35 “Even if I have to die with You,” Peter told Him, “I will never deny You!” And all the disciples said the same thing.
The Prayer in the Garden
36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane,[i](Z) and He told the disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.(AA) 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is swallowed up in sorrow[j] —to the point of death.[k] Remain here and stay awake with Me.”(AB) 39 Going a little farther,[l] He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”(AC)
40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He asked Peter, “So, couldn’t you[m] stay awake with Me one hour? 41 Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this[n] cannot pass[o] unless I drink it, Your will be done.”(AD) 43 And He came again and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open.[p]
44 After leaving them, He went away again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. 45 Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting?[q] Look, the time is near. The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.(AE) 46 Get up; let’s go! See, My betrayer is near.”
The Judas Kiss
47 While He was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, suddenly arrived.(AF) A large mob, with swords and clubs, was with him from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 His betrayer had given them a sign: “The One I kiss, He’s the One; arrest Him!” 49 So he went right up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.
50 “Friend,”(AG) Jesus asked him, “why have you come?”[r]
Then they came up, took hold of Jesus, and arrested Him. 51 At that moment one of those with Jesus reached out his hand and drew his sword. He struck the high priest’s slave and cut off his ear.(AH)
52 Then Jesus told him, “Put your sword back in its place because all who take up a sword will perish by a sword.(AI) 53 Or do you think that I cannot call on My Father, and He will provide Me at once with more than 12 legions[s] of angels?(AJ) 54 How, then, would the Scriptures be fulfilled(AK) that say it must happen this way?”
55 At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as if I were a criminal,[t] to capture Me? Every day I used to sit, teaching in the temple complex, and you didn’t arrest Me.(AL) 56 But all this has happened so that the prophetic Scriptures[u](AM) would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples(AN) deserted Him and ran away.
Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin
57 Those(AO) who had arrested Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas(AP) the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had convened. 58 Meanwhile, Peter was following Him at a distance right to the high priest’s courtyard.[v] He went in and was sitting with the temple police[w] to see the outcome.[x](AQ)
59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus so they could put Him to death.(AR) 60 But they could not find any, even though many false witnesses(AS) came forward.[y] Finally, two[z] who came forward 61 stated, “This man said, ‘I can demolish God’s sanctuary(AT) and rebuild it in three days.’”
62 The high priest then stood up and said to Him, “Don’t You have an answer to what these men are testifying against You?” 63 But(AU) Jesus kept silent.(AV) Then the high priest said to Him, “By the living God I place You under oath:(AW) tell us if You are the Messiah, the Son of God!”(AX)
64 “You have said it,”[aa] Jesus told him. “But I tell you, in the future[ab] you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”(AY)[ac]
65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed!(AZ) Why do we still need witnesses? Look, now you’ve heard the blasphemy!(BA) 66 What is your decision?”[ad]
They answered, “He deserves death!”(BB) 67 Then they spit in His face(BC) and beat Him; others slapped Him 68 and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah! Who hit You?”(BD)
Peter Denies His Lord
69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard.(BE) A servant approached him and she said, “You were with Jesus the Galilean too.”
70 But he denied it in front of everyone: “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
71 When he had gone out to the gateway, another woman saw him and told those who were there, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene!”(BF)
72 And again he denied it with an oath,(BG) “I don’t know the man!”
73 After a little while those standing there approached and said to Peter, “You certainly are one of them, since even your accent[ae] gives you away.”
74 Then he started to curse[af] and to swear with an oath, “I do not know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed, 75 and Peter remembered the words Jesus had spoken, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”(BH) And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Footnotes
- Matthew 26:2 Or Know (as a command)
- Matthew 26:3 Other mss add and the scribes
- Matthew 26:18 Lit Passover with you
- Matthew 26:28 Other mss read new covenant
- Matthew 26:29 Or drink new wine; lit drink it new
- Matthew 26:30 Pss 113–118 were sung during and after the Passover meal.
- Matthew 26:31 Or stumble
- Matthew 26:31 Zch 13:7
- Matthew 26:36 A garden east of Jerusalem at the base of the Mount of Olives; Gethsemane = olive oil press
- Matthew 26:38 Or I am deeply grieved, or I am overwhelmed by sorrow; Ps 42:6,11; 43:5
- Matthew 26:38 Lit unto death
- Matthew 26:39 Other mss read Drawing nearer
- Matthew 26:40 = all 3 disciples because the verb in Gk is pl
- Matthew 26:42 Other mss add cup
- Matthew 26:42 Other mss add from Me
- Matthew 26:43 Lit because their eyes were weighed down
- Matthew 26:45 Or Sleep on now and take your rest.
- Matthew 26:50 Or Jesus told him, “do what you have come for.” (as a statement)
- Matthew 26:53 A Roman legion contained up to 6,000 soldiers.
- Matthew 26:55 Lit as against a criminal
- Matthew 26:56 Or the Scriptures of the prophets
- Matthew 26:58 Or high priest’s palace
- Matthew 26:58 Or the officers, or the servants
- Matthew 26:58 Lit end
- Matthew 26:60 Other mss add they found none
- Matthew 26:60 Other mss add false witnesses
- Matthew 26:64 Or That is true, an affirmative oath; Mt 27:11; Mk 15:2
- Matthew 26:64 Lit you, from now
- Matthew 26:64 Ps 110:1; Dn 7:13
- Matthew 26:66 Lit What does it seem to you?
- Matthew 26:73 Or speech
- Matthew 26:74 To call down curses on himself if what he said weren’t true
Matthew 26
Common English Bible
Plot to kill Jesus
26 When Jesus finished speaking all these words, he said to his disciples, 2 “You know that the Passover is two days from now. And the Human One[a] will be handed over to be crucified.”
3 Then the chief priests and elders of the people gathered in the courtyard of Caiaphas the high priest. 4 They were plotting to arrest Jesus by cunning tricks and to kill him. 5 But they agreed that it shouldn’t happen during the feast so there wouldn’t be an uproar among the people.
A woman pouring perfume on Jesus
6 When Jesus was at Bethany visiting the house of Simon, who had a skin disease, 7 a woman came to him with a vase made of alabaster containing very expensive perfume. She poured it on Jesus’ head while he was sitting at dinner. 8 Now when the disciples saw it they were angry and said, “Why this waste? 9 This perfume could have been sold for a lot of money and given to the poor.”
10 But Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said, “Why do you make trouble for the woman? She’s done a good thing for me. 11 You always have the poor with you, but you won’t always have me. 12 By pouring this perfume over my body she’s prepared me to be buried. 13 I tell you the truth that wherever in the whole world this good news is announced, what she’s done will also be told in memory of her.”
Judas betrays Jesus
14 Then one of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me if I turn Jesus over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From that time on he was looking for an opportunity to turn him in.
Passover with the disciples
17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover meal?”
18 He replied, “Go into the city, to a certain man, and say, ‘The teacher says, “My time is near. I’m going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.”’” 19 The disciples did just as Jesus instructed them. They prepared the Passover.
20 That evening he took his place at the table with the twelve disciples. 21 As they were eating he said, “I assure you that one of you will betray me.”
22 Deeply saddened, each one said to him, “I’m not the one, am I, Lord?”
23 He replied, “The one who will betray me is the one who dips his hand with me into this bowl. 24 The Human One[b] goes to his death just as it is written about him. But how terrible it is for that person who betrays the Human One![c] It would have been better for him if he had never been born.”
25 Now Judas, who would betray him, replied, “It’s not me, is it, Rabbi?”
Jesus answered, “You said it.”
Last supper
26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take and eat. This is my body.” 27 He took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from this, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many so that their sins may be forgiven. 29 I tell you, I won’t drink wine again until that day when I drink it in a new way with you in my Father’s kingdom.” 30 Then, after singing songs of praise, they went to the Mount of Olives.
Predictions about disciples leaving Jesus
31 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Tonight you will all fall away because of me. This is because it is written, I will hit the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will go off in all directions.[d] 32 But after I’m raised up, I’ll go before you to Galilee.”
33 Peter replied, “If everyone else stumbles because of you, I’ll never stumble.”
34 Jesus said to him, “I assure you that, before the rooster crows tonight, you will deny me three times.”
35 Peter said, “Even if I must die alongside you, I won’t deny you.” All the disciples said the same thing.
Jesus in prayer
36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. He said to the disciples, “Stay here while I go and pray over there.” 37 When he took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, he began to feel sad and anxious. 38 Then he said to them, “I’m very sad. It’s as if I’m dying. Stay here and keep alert with me.” 39 Then he went a short distance farther and fell on his face and prayed, “My Father, if it’s possible, take this cup of suffering away from me. However—not what I want but what you want.”
40 He came back to the disciples and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you stay alert one hour with me? 41 Stay alert and pray so that you won’t give in to temptation. The spirit is eager, but the flesh is weak.” 42 A second time he went away and prayed, “My Father, if it’s not possible that this cup be taken away unless I drink it, then let it be what you want.”
43 Again he came and found them sleeping. Their eyes were heavy with sleep. 44 But he left them and again went and prayed the same words for the third time. 45 Then he came to his disciples and said to them, “Will you sleep and rest all night? Look, the time has come for the Human One[e] to be betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up. Let’s go. Look, here comes my betrayer.”
Arrest
47 While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, came. With him was a large crowd carrying swords and clubs. They had been sent by the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 His betrayer had given them a sign: “Arrest the man I kiss.” 49 Just then he came to Jesus and said, “Hello, Rabbi.” Then he kissed him.
50 But Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came and grabbed Jesus and arrested him.
51 One of those with Jesus reached for his sword. Striking the high priest’s slave, he cut off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put the sword back into its place. All those who use the sword will die by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I’m not able to ask my Father and he will send to me more than twelve battle groups[f] of angels right away? 54 But if I did that, how would the scriptures be fulfilled that say this must happen?” 55 Then Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come with swords and clubs to arrest me, like a thief? Day after day, I sat in the temple teaching, but you didn’t arrest me. 56 But all this has happened so that what the prophets said in the scriptures might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left Jesus and ran away.
Jesus before the council
57 Those who arrested Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest. The legal experts and the elders had gathered there. 58 Peter followed him from a distance until he came to the high priest’s courtyard. He entered that area and sat outside with the officers to see how it would turn out.
59 The chief priests and the whole council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 60 They didn’t find anything they could use from the many false witnesses who were willing to come forward. But finally they found two 61 who said, “This man said, ‘I can destroy God’s temple and rebuild it in three days.’”
62 Then the high priest stood and said to Jesus, “Aren’t you going to respond to the testimony these people have brought against you?”
63 But Jesus was silent.
The high priest said, “By the living God, I demand that you tell us whether you are the Christ, God’s Son.”
64 “You said it,” Jesus replied. “But I say to you that from now on you’ll see the Human One[g] sitting on the right side of the Almighty[h] and coming on the heavenly clouds.”[i]
65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He’s insulting God! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, you’ve heard his insult against God. 66 What do you think?”
And they answered, “He deserves to die!” 67 Then they spit in his face and beat him. They hit him 68 and said, “Prophesy for us, Christ! Who hit you?”
Peter’s denial
69 Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant woman came and said to him, “You were also with Jesus the Galilean.”
70 But he denied it in front of all of them, saying, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
71 When he went over to the gate, another woman saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.”
72 With a solemn pledge, he denied it again, saying, “I don’t know the man.”
73 A short time later those standing there came and said to Peter, “You must be one of them. The way you talk gives you away.”
74 Then he cursed and swore, “I don’t know the man!” At that very moment the rooster crowed. 75 Peter remembered Jesus’ words, “Before the rooster crows you will deny me three times.”And Peter went out and cried uncontrollably.
Footnotes
- Matthew 26:2 Or Son of Man
- Matthew 26:24 Or Son of Man
- Matthew 26:24 Or Son of Man
- Matthew 26:31 Zech 13:7
- Matthew 26:45 Or Son of Man
- Matthew 26:53 Or legions (of the Roman army, about five thousand soldiers each)
- Matthew 26:64 Or Son of Man
- Matthew 26:64 Or the Power
- Matthew 26:64 Dan 7:13
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible