Matthew 26
Living Bible
26 When Jesus had finished this talk with his disciples, he told them,
2 “As you know, the Passover celebration begins in two days, and I[a] shall be betrayed and crucified.”
3 At that very moment the chief priests and other Jewish officials were meeting at the residence of Caiaphas the high priest, 4 to discuss ways of capturing Jesus quietly and killing him. 5 “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “for there would be a riot.”
6 Jesus now proceeded to Bethany, to the home of Simon the leper. 7 While he was eating, a woman came in with a bottle of very expensive perfume and poured it over his head.
8-9 The disciples were indignant. “What a waste of good money,” they said. “Why, she could have sold it for a fortune and given it to the poor.”
10 Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, “Why are you criticizing her? For she has done a good thing to me. 11 You will always have the poor among you, but you won’t always have me. 12 She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. 13 And she will always be remembered for this deed. The story of what she has done will be told throughout the whole world, wherever the Good News is preached.”
14 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles, went to the chief priests 15 and asked, “How much will you pay me to get Jesus into your hands?” And they gave him thirty silver coins. 16 From that time on, Judas watched for an opportunity to betray Jesus to them.
17 On the first day of the Passover ceremonies, when bread made with yeast was purged from every Jewish home, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where shall we plan to eat the Passover?”
18 He replied, “Go into the city and see Mr. So-and-So, and tell him, ‘Our Master says, my time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house.’” 19 So the disciples did as he told them and prepared the supper there.
20-21 That evening as he sat eating with the Twelve, he said, “One of you will betray me.”
22 Sorrow chilled their hearts, and each one asked, “Am I the one?”
23 He replied, “It is the one I served first.[b] 24 For I must die[c] just as was prophesied, but woe to the man by whom I am betrayed. Far better for that one if he had never been born.”
25 Judas, too, had asked him, “Rabbi, am I the one?” And Jesus had told him, “Yes.”
26 As they were eating, Jesus took a small loaf of bread and blessed it and broke it apart and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take it and eat it, for this is my body.”
27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks for it and gave it to them and said, “Each one drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, sealing the new covenant. It is poured out to forgive the sins of multitudes. 29 Mark my words—I will not drink this wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”
30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
31 Then Jesus said to them, “Tonight you will all desert me. For it is written in the Scriptures[d] that God will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. 32 But after I have been brought back to life again, I will go to Galilee and meet you there.”
33 Peter declared, “If everyone else deserts you, I won’t.”
34 Jesus told him, “The truth is that this very night, before the cock crows at dawn, you will deny me three times!”
35 “I would die first!” Peter insisted. And all the other disciples said the same thing.
36 Then Jesus brought them to a garden grove, Gethsemane, and told them to sit down and wait while he went on ahead to pray. 37 He took Peter with him and Zebedee’s two sons James and John, and began to be filled with anguish and despair.
38 Then he told them, “My soul is crushed with horror and sadness to the point of death . . . stay here . . . stay awake with me.”
39 He went forward a little, and fell face downward on the ground, and prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup be taken away from me. But I want your will, not mine.”
40 Then he returned to the three disciples and found them asleep. “Peter,” he called, “couldn’t you even stay awake with me one hour? 41 Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For the spirit indeed is willing, but how weak the body is!”
42 Again he left them and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot go away until I drink it all, your will be done.”
43 He returned to them again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy, 44 so he went back to prayer the third time, saying the same things again.
45 Then he came to the disciples and said, “Sleep on now and take your rest . . . but no! The time has come! I am[e] betrayed into the hands of evil men! 46 Up! Let’s be going! Look! Here comes the man who is betraying me!”
47 At that very moment while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived with a great crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent by the Jewish leaders. 48 Judas had told them to arrest the man he greeted, for that would be the one they were after. 49 So now Judas came straight to Jesus and said, “Hello, Master!” and embraced[f] him in friendly fashion.
50 Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.” Then the others grabbed him.
51 One of the men with Jesus pulled out a sword and slashed off the ear of the high priest’s servant.
52 “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those using swords will get killed. 53 Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands 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 is happening now?” 55 Then Jesus spoke to the crowd. “Am I some dangerous criminal,” he asked, “that you had to arm yourselves with swords and clubs before you could arrest me? I was with you teaching daily in the Temple and you didn’t stop me then. 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.
57 Then the mob led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where all the Jewish leaders were gathering. 58 Meanwhile, Peter was following far to the rear, and came to the courtyard of the high priest’s house and went in and sat with the soldiers, and waited to see what was going to be done to Jesus.
59 The chief priests and, in fact, the entire Jewish Supreme Court assembled there and looked for witnesses who would lie about Jesus, in order to build a case against him that would result in a death sentence. 60-61 But even though they found many who agreed to be false witnesses, these always contradicted each other.
Finally two men were found 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, what about it? Did you say that, or didn’t you?” 63 But Jesus remained silent.
Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God that you tell us whether you claim to be the Messiah, the Son of God.”
64 “Yes,” Jesus said, “I am. And in the future you will see me, the Messiah,[g] sitting at the right hand of God and returning on the clouds of heaven.”
65-66 Then the high priest tore at his own clothing, shouting, “Blasphemy! What need have we for other witnesses? You have all heard him say it! What is your verdict?”
They shouted, “Death!—Death!—Death!”
67 Then they spat in his face and struck him and some slapped him, 68 saying, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who struck you that time?”
69 Meanwhile, as Peter was sitting in the courtyard, a girl came over and said to him, “You were with Jesus, for both of you are from Galilee.”[h]
70 But Peter denied it loudly. “I don’t even know what you are talking about,” he angrily declared.
71 Later, out by the gate, another girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus—from Nazareth.”
72 Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the man,” he said.
73 But after a while the men who had been standing there came over to him and said, “We know you are one of his disciples, for we can tell by your Galilean[i] accent.”
74 Peter began to curse and swear. “I don’t even know the man,” he said.
And immediately the cock crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said, “Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went away, crying bitterly.
Footnotes
- Matthew 26:2 I, literally, “the Son of Man.”
- Matthew 26:23 the one I served first, literally, “he that dipped his hand with me in the dish.”
- Matthew 26:24 For I must die, literally, “The Son of Man goes.”
- Matthew 26:31 in the Scriptures, see Zechariah 13:7.
- Matthew 26:45 I am, literally, “The Son of Man is.”
- Matthew 26:49 embraced, literally, “kissed,” the greeting still used among men in Eastern lands.
- Matthew 26:64 the Messiah, literally, “the Son of Man.”
- Matthew 26:69 with Jesus, for both of you are from Galilee, literally, “with Jesus the Galilean.”
- Matthew 26:73 Galilean, implied.
Matthew 26
Contemporary English Version
The Plot To Kill Jesus
(Mark 14.1,2; Luke 22.1,2; John 11.45-53)
26 When Jesus had finished teaching, he told his disciples, 2 (A) “You know two days from now will be Passover. This is when the Son of Man will be handed over to his enemies and nailed to a cross.”
3 At that time the chief priests and the nation's leaders were meeting at the home of Caiaphas the high priest. 4 They planned how they could sneak around and have Jesus arrested and put to death. 5 But they said, “We must not do it during Passover, because the people will riot.”
At Bethany
(Mark 14.3-9; John 12.1-8)
6 Jesus was in the town of Bethany, eating at the home of Simon, who had leprosy.[a] 7 (B) A woman came in with a bottle of expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus' head. 8 But when his disciples saw this, they became angry and complained, “Why such a waste? 9 We could have sold this perfume for a lot of money and given it to the poor.”
10 Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said:
Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me. 11 (C) You will always have the poor with you, but you won't always have me. 12 She has poured perfume on my body to prepare it for burial.[b] 13 You may be sure that wherever the good news is told all over the world, people will remember what she has done. And they will tell others.
Judas and the Chief Priests
(Mark 14.10,11; Luke 22.3-6)
14 Judas Iscariot[c] was one of the twelve disciples. He went to the chief priests 15 (D) and asked, “How much will you give me if I help you arrest Jesus?” They paid Judas 30 silver coins, 16 and from then on he started looking for a good chance to betray Jesus.
Jesus Eats the Passover Meal with His Disciples
(Mark 14.12-21; Luke 22.7-13; John 13.21-30)
17 On the first day of the Festival of Thin Bread, Jesus' disciples came to him and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal?”
18 Jesus told them to go to a certain man in the city and tell him, “Our teacher says, ‘My time has come! I want to eat the Passover meal with my disciples in your home.’ ” 19 They did as Jesus told them and prepared the meal.
20-21 When Jesus was eating with his twelve disciples that evening, he said, “One of you will surely hand me over to my enemies.”
22 The disciples were very sad, and each one said to Jesus, “Lord, you can't mean me!”
23 (E) He answered, “One of you men who has eaten with me from this dish will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will die, as the Scriptures say. But it's going to be terrible for the one who betrays me! That man would be better off if he had never been born.”
25 Judas said, “Teacher, you surely don't mean me!”
“That's what you say!” Jesus replied. But later, Judas did betray him.
The Lord's Supper
(Mark 14.22-26; Luke 22.14-23; 1 Corinthians 11.23-25)
26 During the meal Jesus took some bread in his hands. He blessed the bread and broke it. Then he gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this and eat it. This is my body.”
27 Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He then gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this and drink it. 28 (F) This is my blood, and with it God makes his agreement with you. It will be poured out, so that many people will have their sins forgiven. 29 From now on I am not going to drink any wine, until I drink new wine with you in my Father's kingdom.” 30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
Peter's Promise
(Mark 14.27-31; Luke 22.31-34; John 13.36-38)
31 (G) Jesus said to his disciples, “During this very night, all of you will reject me, as the Scriptures say,
‘I will strike down
the shepherd,
and the sheep
will be scattered.’
32 (H) But after I am raised to life, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”
33 Peter spoke up, “Even if all the others reject you, I never will!”
34 Jesus replied, “I promise you before a rooster crows tonight, you will say three times that you don't know me.” 35 But Peter said, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never say I don't know you.”
All the others said the same thing.
Jesus Prays
(Mark 14.32-42; Luke 22.39-46)
36 Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. When they got there, he told them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”
37 Jesus took along Peter and the two brothers, James and John.[d] He was very sad and troubled, 38 and he said to them, “I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with me.”
39 Jesus walked on a little way. Then he knelt with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, don't make me suffer by drinking from this cup.[e] But do what you want, and not what I want.”
40 He came back and found his disciples sleeping. So he said to Peter, “Can't any of you stay awake with me for just one hour? 41 Stay awake and pray that you won't be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak.”
42 Again Jesus went to pray and said, “My Father, if there is no other way, and I must suffer, I will still do what you want.”
43 Jesus came back and found them sleeping again. They simply could not keep their eyes open. 44 He left them and prayed the same prayer once more.
45 Finally, Jesus returned to his disciples and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting?[f] The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners. 46 Get up! Let's go. The one who will betray me is already here.”
Jesus Is Arrested
(Mark 14.43-50; Luke 22.47-53; John 18.3-12)
47 Jesus was still speaking, when Judas the betrayer came up. He was one of the twelve disciples, and a large mob armed with swords and clubs was with him. They had been sent by the chief priests and the nation's leaders. 48 Judas had told them ahead of time, “Arrest the man I greet with a kiss.”[g]
49 Judas walked right up to Jesus and said, “Hello, teacher.” Then Judas kissed him.
50 Jesus replied, “My friend, do what you came for.”[h]
The men grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51 One of Jesus' followers pulled out a sword. He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
52 But Jesus told him, “Put your sword away. Anyone who lives by fighting will die by fighting. 53 Don't you know that I could ask my Father, and he would at once send me more than twelve armies of angels? 54 But then, how could the words of the Scriptures come true, which say this must happen?”
55 (I) Jesus said to the mob, “Why do you come with swords and clubs to arrest me like a criminal? Day after day I sat and taught in the temple, and you didn't arrest me. 56 But all this happened, so that what the prophets wrote would come true.”
All Jesus' disciples left him and ran away.
Jesus Is Questioned by the Council
(Mark 14.53-65; Luke 22.54,55,63-71; John 18.13,14,19-24)
57 After Jesus had been arrested, he was led off to the house of Caiaphas the high priest. The nation's leaders and the teachers of the Law of Moses were meeting there. 58 But Peter followed along at a distance and came to the courtyard of the high priest's palace. He went in and sat down with the guards to see what was going to happen.
59 The chief priests and the whole council wanted to put Jesus to death. So they tried to find some people who would tell lies about him in court.[i] 60 But they could not find any, even though many did come and tell lies. At last, two men came forward 61 (J) and said, “This man claimed he could tear down God's temple and build it again in three days.”
62 The high priest stood up and asked Jesus, “Why don't you say something in your own defense? Don't you hear the charges they are making against you?” 63 But Jesus did not answer. So the high priest said, “With the living God looking on, you must tell the truth. Are you the Messiah, the Son of God?”[j]
64 (K) “That is what you say!” Jesus answered. “But I tell all of you,
‘Soon you will see
the Son of Man
sitting at the right side[k]
of God All-Powerful
and coming on the clouds
of heaven.’ ”
65 (L) The high priest then tore his robe and said, “This man claims to be God! We don't need any more witnesses! You have heard what he said. 66 What do you think?”
They answered, “He is guilty and deserves to die!” 67 (M) Then they spit in his face and hit him with their fists. Others slapped him 68 and said, “You think you are the Messiah! So tell us who hit you!”
Peter Says He Doesn't Know Jesus
(Mark 14.66-72; Luke 22.56-62; John 18.15-18,25-27)
69 While Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, a servant girl came up to him and said, “You were with Jesus from Galilee.”
70 But in front of everyone Peter said, “That isn't so! I don't know what you are talking about!”
71 When Peter had gone out to the gate, another servant girl saw him and said to some people there, “This man was with Jesus from Nazareth.”
72 Again Peter denied it, and this time he swore, “I don't even know that man!”
73 A little while later some people standing there walked over to Peter and said, “We know you are one of them. We can tell it because you talk like someone from Galilee.”
74 Peter began to curse and swear, “I don't know that man!”
Right then a rooster crowed, 75 and Peter remembered that Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows, you will say three times you don't know me.” Then Peter went out and cried bitterly.
Footnotes
- 26.6 leprosy: See the note at 8.2.
- 26.12 poured perfume on my body to prepare it for burial: The Jewish people taught that giving someone a proper burial was even more important than helping the poor.
- 26.14 Iscariot: See the note at 10.4.
- 26.37 the two brothers, James and John: The Greek text has “the two sons of Zebedee” (see 27.56).
- 26.39 by drinking from this cup: In the Scriptures “to drink from a cup” sometimes means to suffer (see the note at 20.22).
- 26.45 Are you still sleeping and resting: Or “You may as well keep on sleeping and resting.”
- 26.48 the man I greet with a kiss: It was the custom for people to greet each other with a kiss on the cheek.
- 26.50 do what you came for: Or “why are you here?”
- 26.59 some people who would tell lies about him in court: The Law of Moses taught that two witnesses were necessary before a person could be put to death (see verse 60).
- 26.63 Son of God: One of the titles used for the kings of Israel.
- 26.64 right side: See the note at 22.44.
Matthew 26
Easy-to-Read Version
The Jewish Leaders Plan to Kill Jesus(A)
26 After Jesus finished saying all these things, he said to his followers, 2 “You know that the day after tomorrow is Passover. On that day the Son of Man will be handed over to his enemies to be killed on a cross.”
3 Then the leading priests and the older Jewish leaders had a meeting at the palace where the high priest lived. The high priest’s name was Caiaphas. 4 In the meeting they tried to find a way to arrest and kill Jesus without anyone knowing what they were doing. They planned to arrest Jesus and kill him. 5 They said, “We cannot arrest Jesus during Passover. We don’t want the people to become angry and cause a riot.”
A Woman Does Something Special(B)
6 Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper. 7 While he was there, a woman came to him. She had an alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. She poured the perfume on Jesus’ head while he was eating.
8 The followers saw the woman do this and were upset at her. They said, “Why waste that perfume? 9 It could be sold for a lot of money, and the money could be given to those who are poor.”
10 But Jesus knew what happened. He said, “Why are you bothering this woman? She did a very good thing for me. 11 You will always have the poor with you.[a] But you will not always have me. 12 This woman poured perfume on my body. She did this to prepare me for burial after I die. 13 The Good News will be told to people all over the world. And I can assure you that everywhere the Good News is told, the story of what this woman did will also be told, and people will remember her.”
Judas Agrees to Help Jesus’ Enemies(C)
14 Then one of the twelve followers went to talk to the leading priests. This was the follower named Judas Iscariot. 15 He said, “I will hand Jesus over to you. What will you pay me for doing this?” The priests gave him 30 silver coins. 16 After that Judas waited for the best time to hand Jesus over to them.
The Passover Meal(D)
17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the followers came to Jesus. They said, “We will prepare everything for you to eat the Passover meal. Where do you want us to have the meal?”
18 Jesus answered, “Go into the city. Go to a man I know. Tell him that the Teacher says, ‘The chosen time is near. I will have the Passover meal with my followers at your house.’” 19 They obeyed and did what Jesus told them to do. They prepared the Passover meal.
20 In the evening Jesus was at the table with the twelve followers. 21 They were all eating. Then Jesus said, “Believe me when I say that one of you twelve here will hand me over to my enemies.”
22 The followers were very sad to hear this. Each one said, “Lord, surely I am not the one!”
23 Jesus answered, “One who has dipped his bread in the same bowl with me will be the one to hand me over. 24 The Son of Man will suffer what the Scriptures say will happen to him. But it will be very bad for the one who hands over the Son of Man to be killed. It would be better for him if he had never been born.”
25 Then Judas, the very one who would hand him over, said to Jesus, “Teacher, surely I am not the one you are talking about, am I?”
Jesus answered, “Yes, it is you.”
The Lord’s Supper(E)
26 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread and thanked God for it. He broke off some pieces, gave them to his followers and said, “Take this bread and eat it. It is my body.”
27 Then he took a cup of wine, thanked God for it, and gave it to them. He said, “Each one of you drink some of it. 28 This wine is my blood, which will be poured out to forgive the sins of many and begin the new agreement from God to his people. 29 I want you to know, I will not drink this wine again until that day when we are together in my Father’s kingdom and the wine is new. Then I will drink it again with you.”
30 They all sang a song and then went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus Says His Followers Will Leave Him(F)
31 Jesus told the followers, “Tonight you will all lose your faith in me. The Scriptures say,
‘I will kill the shepherd,
and the sheep will run away.’ (G)
32 But after I am killed, I will rise from death. Then I will go into Galilee. I will be there before you go there.”
33 Peter answered, “All the other followers may lose their faith in you. But my faith will never be shaken.”
34 Jesus answered, “The truth is, tonight you will say you don’t know me. You will deny me three times before the rooster crows.”
35 But Peter answered, “I will never say I don’t know you! I will even die with you!” And all the other followers said the same thing.
Jesus Prays Alone(H)
36 Then Jesus went with his followers to a place called Gethsemane. He said to them, “Sit here while I go there and pray.” 37 He told Peter and the two sons of Zebedee to come with him. Then he began to be very sad and troubled. 38 Jesus said to Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, “My heart is so heavy with grief, I feel as if I am dying. Wait here and stay awake with me.”
39 Then Jesus went on a little farther away from them. He fell to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, don’t make me drink from this cup.[b] But do what you want, not what I want.” 40 Then he went back to his followers and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Could you men not stay awake with me for one hour? 41 Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. Your spirit wants to do what is right, but your body is weak.”
42 Then Jesus went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if I must do this[c] and it is not possible for me to escape it, then I pray that what you want will be done.”
43 Then he went back to the followers. Again he found them sleeping. They could not stay awake. 44 So he left them and went away one more time and prayed. This third time he prayed, he said the same thing.
45 Then Jesus went back to the followers and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to the control of sinful men. 46 Stand up! We must go. Here comes the one who will hand me over.”
Jesus Is Arrested(I)
47 While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve apostles came there. He had a big crowd of people with him, all carrying swords and clubs. They had been sent from the leading priests and the older leaders of the people. 48 Judas[d] planned to do something to show them which one was Jesus. He said, “The one I kiss will be Jesus. Arrest him.” 49 So he went to Jesus and said, “Hello, Teacher!” Then Judas kissed him.
50 Jesus answered, “Friend, do the thing you came to do.”
Then the men came and grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51 When that happened, one of the followers with Jesus grabbed his sword and pulled it out. He swung it at the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
52 Jesus said to the man, “Put your sword back in its place. People who use swords will be killed with swords. 53 Surely you know I could ask my Father and he would give me more than twelve armies of angels. 54 But it must happen this way to show the truth of what the Scriptures said.”
55 Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Why do you come to get me with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal. Every day I sat in the Temple area teaching. You did not arrest me there. 56 But all these things have happened to show the full meaning of what the prophets wrote.” Then all of Jesus’ followers left him and ran away.
Jesus Before the Jewish Leaders(J)
57 The men who arrested Jesus led him to the house of Caiaphas the high priest. The teachers of the law and the older Jewish leaders were gathered there. 58 Peter followed Jesus but stayed back at a distance. He followed him to the yard of the high priest’s house. Peter went in and sat with the guards. He wanted to see what would happen to Jesus.
59 The leading priests and the high council tried to find something against Jesus so that they could kill him. They tried to find people to lie and say that Jesus had done wrong. 60 Many people came and told lies about him. But the council could find no real reason to kill him. Then two people came 61 and said, “This man[e] said, ‘I can destroy the Temple of God and build it again in three days.’”
62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Don’t you have anything to say about these charges against you? Are they telling the truth?” 63 But Jesus said nothing.
Again the high priest said to Jesus, “You are now under oath. I command you by the power of the living God to tell us the truth. Tell us, are you the Messiah, the Son of God?”
64 Jesus answered, “Yes, that’s right. But I tell you, in the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right side of God. And you will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65 When the high priest heard this, he tore his clothes in anger. He said, “This man has said things that insult God! We don’t need any more witnesses. You all heard his insulting words. 66 What do you think?”
The Jewish leaders answered, “He is guilty, and he must die.”
67 Then some there spit in Jesus’ face, and they hit him with their fists. Others slapped him. 68 They said, “Show us that you are a prophet,[f] Messiah! Tell us who hit you!”
Peter Is Afraid to Say He Knows Jesus(K)
69 While Peter was sitting outside in the yard, a servant girl came up to him. She said, “You were with Jesus, that man from Galilee.”
70 But Peter told everyone there that this was not true. “I don’t know what you are talking about,” he said.
71 Then he left the yard. At the gate another girl saw him and said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72 Again, Peter said he was never with Jesus. He said, “I swear to God I don’t know the man!”
73 A short time later those standing there went to Peter and said, “We know you are one of them. It’s clear from the way you talk.”
74 Then Peter began to curse. He said, “I swear to God, I don’t know the man!” As soon as he said this, a rooster crowed. 75 Then he remembered what Jesus had told him: “Before the rooster crows, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Then Peter went outside and cried bitterly.
Footnotes
- Matthew 26:11 You will … with you See Deut. 15:11.
- Matthew 26:39 cup A symbol of suffering. Jesus used the idea of drinking from a cup to mean accepting the suffering he would face in the terrible events that were soon to come.
- Matthew 26:42 do this Literally, “drink this,” referring to the “cup,” the symbol of suffering in verse 39.
- Matthew 26:48 Judas Literally, “the one who handed him over.”
- Matthew 26:61 This man That is, Jesus. His enemies avoided saying his name.
- Matthew 26:68 prophet A prophet often knows things that are hidden to other people.
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
Matthew 26
New King James Version
The Plot to Kill Jesus(A)
26 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples, 2 (B)“You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”
3 (C)Then the chief priests, [a]the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 and (D)plotted to take Jesus by [b]trickery and kill Him. 5 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the (E)people.”
The Anointing at Bethany(F)
6 And when Jesus was in (G)Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. 8 (H)But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”
10 But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. 11 (I)For you have the poor with you always, but (J)Me you do not have always. 12 For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My (K)burial. 13 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus(L)
14 (M)Then one of the twelve, called (N)Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, (O)“What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. 16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.
Jesus Celebrates Passover with His Disciples(P)
17 (Q)Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”
18 And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, (R)“My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.” ’ ”
19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.
20 (S)When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. 21 Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will (T)betray Me.”
22 And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?”
23 He answered and said, (U)“He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. 24 The Son of Man indeed goes just (V)as it is written of Him, but (W)woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! (X)It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”
25 Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?”
He said to him, “You have said it.”
Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper(Y)
26 (Z)And as they were eating, (AA)Jesus took bread, [c]blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; (AB)this is My body.”
27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, (AC)“Drink from it, all of you. 28 For (AD)this is My blood (AE)of the [d]new covenant, which is shed (AF)for many for the [e]remission of sins. 29 But (AG)I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on (AH)until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
30 (AI)And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial(AJ)
31 Then Jesus said to them, (AK)“All of you will (AL)be [f]made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:
(AM)‘I will strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
32 But after I have been raised, (AN)I will go before you to Galilee.”
33 Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are [g]made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.”
34 Jesus said to him, (AO)“Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
35 Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”
And so said all the disciples.
The Prayer in the Garden(AP)
36 (AQ)Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and (AR)the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, (AS)“My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”
39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and (AT)prayed, saying, (AU)“O My Father, if it is possible, (AV)let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, (AW)not as I will, but as You will.”
40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 (AX)Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. (AY)The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, [h]if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.
44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour [i]is at hand, and the Son of Man is being (AZ)betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”
Betrayal and Arrest in Gethsemane(BA)
47 And (BB)while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.
48 Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.” 49 Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” (BC)and kissed Him.
50 But Jesus said to him, (BD)“Friend, why have you come?”
Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. 51 And suddenly, (BE)one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.
52 But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, (BF)for all who take the sword will [j]perish by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with (BG)more than twelve legions of angels? 54 How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, (BH)that it must happen thus?”
55 In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. 56 But all this was done that the (BI)Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.”
Then (BJ)all the disciples forsook Him and fled.
Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin(BK)
57 (BL)And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58 But (BM)Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.
59 Now the chief priests, [k]the elders, and all the council sought (BN)false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, 60 [l]but found none. Even though (BO)many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last (BP)two [m]false witnesses came forward 61 and said, “This fellow said, (BQ)‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ”
62 (BR)And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” 63 But (BS)Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, (BT)“I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!”
64 Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, (BU)hereafter you will see the Son of Man (BV)sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65 (BW)Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His (BX)blasphemy! 66 What do you think?”
They answered and said, (BY)“He is deserving of death.”
67 (BZ)Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and (CA)others struck Him with [n]the palms of their hands, 68 saying, (CB)“Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?”
Peter Denies Jesus, and Weeps Bitterly(CC)
69 (CD)Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”
70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”
71 And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72 But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”
73 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your (CE)speech betrays you.”
74 Then (CF)he began to [o]curse and [p]swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!”
Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, (CG)“Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.
Footnotes
- Matthew 26:3 NU omits the scribes
- Matthew 26:4 deception
- Matthew 26:26 M gave thanks for
- Matthew 26:28 NU omits new
- Matthew 26:28 forgiveness
- Matthew 26:31 caused to take offense at Me
- Matthew 26:33 caused to take offense at You
- Matthew 26:42 NU if this may not pass away unless
- Matthew 26:45 has drawn near
- Matthew 26:52 M die
- Matthew 26:59 NU omits the elders
- Matthew 26:60 NU but found none, even though many false witnesses came forward.
- Matthew 26:60 NU omits false witnesses
- Matthew 26:67 Or rods,
- Matthew 26:74 call down curses
- Matthew 26:74 Swear oaths
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
