Matthew 26
New Living Translation
The Plot to Kill Jesus
26 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2 “As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man[a] will be handed over to be crucified.”
3 At that same time the leading priests and elders were meeting at the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest, 4 plotting how to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. 5 “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
6 Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. 7 While he was eating,[b] a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head.
8 The disciples were indignant when they saw this. “What a waste!” they said. 9 “It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”
10 But Jesus, aware of this, replied, “Why criticize this woman for doing such a good thing to me? 11 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. 12 She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
14 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests 15 and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
The Last Supper
17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?”
18 “As you go into the city,” he told them, “you will see a certain man. Tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus told them and prepared the Passover meal there.
20 When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table[c] with the Twelve. 21 While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”
22 Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one, Lord?”
23 He replied, “One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me. 24 For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”
25 Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “Rabbi, am I the one?”
And Jesus told him, “You have said it.”
26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”
27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant[d] between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. 29 Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”
30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
31 On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say,
‘God will strike[e] the Shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
32 But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”
33 Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.”
34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
35 “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
36 Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away[f] unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open.
44 So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”
Jesus Is Betrayed and Arrested
47 And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. 48 The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss.” 49 So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss.
50 Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.”
Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51 But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear.
52 “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. 53 Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands[g] of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? 54 But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?”
55 Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. 56 But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.” At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.
Jesus before the Council
57 Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and the elders had gathered. 58 Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end.
59 Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council[h] were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death. 60 But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could not use anyone’s testimony. Finally, two men came forward 61 who declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
64 Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand[i] and coming on the clouds of heaven.”[j]
65 Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your verdict?”
“Guilty!” they shouted. “He deserves to die!”
67 Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him, 68 jeering, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?”
Peter Denies Jesus
69 Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.”
70 But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
71 Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.[k]”
72 Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the man,” he said.
73 A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, “You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.”
74 Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed.
75 Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly.
Footnotes
- 26:2 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
- 26:7 Or reclining.
- 26:20 Or Jesus reclined.
- 26:28 Some manuscripts read the new covenant.
- 26:31 Greek I will strike. Zech 13:7.
- 26:42 Greek If this cannot pass.
- 26:53 Greek twelve legions.
- 26:59 Greek the Sanhedrin.
- 26:64a Greek seated at the right hand of the power. See Ps 110:1.
- 26:64b See Dan 7:13.
- 26:71 Or Jesus the Nazarene.
Matthew 26
Legacy Standard Bible
The Plot to Kill Jesus
26 [a](A)Now it happened that when Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, 2 “(B)You know that after two days (C)the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be (D)delivered over for crucifixion.”
3 (E)Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in (F)the court of the high priest, named (G)Caiaphas; 4 and they (H)plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him. 5 But they were saying, “Not during the festival, (I)lest a riot occur among the people.”
The Costly Perfume
6 (J)Now when Jesus was in (K)Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, 7 (L)a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table. 8 But when the disciples saw this, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” 10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good work to Me. 11 For you always have (M)the poor with you; but you do not always have Me. 12 For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it (N)to prepare Me for burial. 13 Truly I say to you, (O)wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”
Judas Looks to Betray Jesus
14 (P)Then one of the twelve, named (Q)Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me [b]to (R)deliver Him to you?” And (S)they weighed out [c]thirty pieces of silver to him. 16 And from then on he began looking for a good opportunity to [d]betray [e]Jesus.
The Passover Meal
17 (T)Now on the first day of (U)Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” 18 And He said, “Go into the city to (V)a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “(W)My time is near; I am keeping the Passover at your house with My disciples.”’” 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.
20 (X)Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples. 21 And as they were eating, He said, “(Y)Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.” 22 And being deeply grieved, they [f]each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?” 23 And He answered and said, “(Z)He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me. 24 The Son of Man is going, (AA)just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! (AB)It would have been good [g]for that man if he had not been born.” 25 And (AC)Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Surely not I, (AD)Rabbi?” Jesus *said to him, “(AE)You yourself said it.”
The Lord’s Supper
26 (AF)Now while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and [h](AG)after a blessing, He broke it. And giving it to the disciples, He said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for (AH)this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for (AI)many for forgiveness of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
30 (AJ)And after singing a hymn, they went out to (AK)the Mount of Olives.
31 Then Jesus *said to them, “You will all [i](AL)fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘(AM)I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be (AN)scattered.’ 32 But after I have been raised, (AO)I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 33 But Peter answered and said to Him, “Even though all may [j]fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” 34 Jesus said to him, “(AP)Truly I say to you that (AQ)this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 35 Peter *said to Him, “(AR)Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too.
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
36 (AS)Then Jesus *came with them to a place called (AT)Gethsemane, and *said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 And He took with Him (AU)Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. 38 Then He *said to them, “(AV)My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and (AW)keep watch with Me.”
39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let (AX)this cup pass from Me; (AY)yet not as I will, but as You will.” 40 And He *came to the disciples and *found them sleeping, and *said to Peter, “So, you men could not (AZ)keep watch with Me for one hour? 41 (BA)Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; (BB)the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this (BC)cannot pass away unless I drink it, (BD)Your will be done.” 43 And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. 45 Then He *came to the disciples and *said to them, “[k]Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, (BE)the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up, let us go; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”
The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
47 (BF)And while He was still speaking, behold, (BG)Judas, one of the twelve, came up, and with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him.” 49 And immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, “Greetings, (BH)Rabbi!” and kissed Him. 50 And Jesus said to him, “(BI)Friend, do what you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him.
51 And behold, (BJ)one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew out his (BK)sword and struck the (BL)slave of the high priest and [l]cut off his ear. 52 Then Jesus *said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for (BM)all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve [m](BN)legions of (BO)angels? 54 Therefore, how will (BP)the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”
55 At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would against a robber? (BQ)Every day I used to sit in the temple teaching and you did not seize Me. 56 But all this has taken place in order that (BR)the Scriptures of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left Him and fled.
Jesus Before Caiaphas
57 (BS)Now those who had seized Jesus led Him away to (BT)Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. 58 But (BU)Peter was following Him at a distance as far as the (BV)courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat down with the [n](BW)officers to see the outcome.
59 Now the chief priests and the whole (BX)Sanhedrin kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. 60 And they did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on (BY)two came forward, 61 and said, “This man stated, ‘(BZ)I am able to destroy the [o]sanctuary of God and to rebuild it [p]in three days.’” 62 And the high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You not answer? What are these men testifying against You?” 63 But (CA)Jesus kept silent. (CB)And the high priest said to Him, “(CC)I put You under oath by (CD)the living God, that You tell us whether You are the [q]Christ, (CE)the Son of God.” 64 Jesus *said to him, “(CF)You yourself said it; nevertheless I tell you, [r]hereafter you will see (CG)the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and (CH)coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65 Then the high priest (CI)tore his garments and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; 66 what do you think?” They answered and said, “(CJ)He deserves death!”
67 (CK)Then they (CL)spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others [s]slapped Him, 68 and said, “(CM)Prophesy to us, O [t]Christ; who is the one who hit You?”
Peter’s Denials
69 (CN)Now Peter was sitting outside in the (CO)courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” 71 And when he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and *said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 And again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” 73 A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Surely you too are one of them; (CP)for even the way you talk [u]gives you away.” 74 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, “(CQ)Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and cried bitterly.
Footnotes
- Matthew 26:1 Lit And
- Matthew 26:15 Lit and I will
- Matthew 26:15 Silver shekels, approx. 120 days of a laborer’s wages
- Matthew 26:16 Or deliver
- Matthew 26:16 Lit Him
- Matthew 26:22 Or one after another
- Matthew 26:24 Lit for him if that man had not been born
- Matthew 26:26 Lit having blessed
- Matthew 26:31 Or stumble
- Matthew 26:33 Or stumble
- Matthew 26:45 Or Keep on sleeping therefore
- Matthew 26:51 Lit took off
- Matthew 26:53 A legion equaled 4,000-6,000 soldiers
- Matthew 26:58 Or servants
- Matthew 26:61 The inner part of the temple
- Matthew 26:61 Or after
- Matthew 26:63 Messiah
- Matthew 26:64 Or from now on
- Matthew 26:67 Or beat Him with rods
- Matthew 26:68 Messiah
- Matthew 26:73 Lit makes you evident
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