Matthew 26

Tree of Life Version

The Conspiracy Grows

26 Now it happened that when Yeshua had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, ² “You know that Passover comes in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be executed.”

³ Then the ruling kohanim and elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the kohen gadol named Caiaphas. ⁴ They plotted together in order that they might seize Yeshua by stealth and kill Him. ⁵ “But not during the festival,” they were saying, “so there won’t be a riot among the people.”

A Woman Anoints Yeshua for Burial

⁶ Now while Yeshua was in Bethany at the house of Simon ha-Metzora, ⁷ a woman came up to Him with an alabaster jar of very expensive oil. And she poured it on His head as He was reclining at the table. ⁸ But when the disciples saw this, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? ⁹ It could have been sold for a lot, and the money given to the poor!”

¹⁰ But Yeshua, knowing this, said to them, “Why do you cause trouble for this woman? She’s done Me a mitzvah. ¹¹ You always have the poor with you,^[a] but you won’t always have Me. ¹² For when she poured this oil on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. ¹³ Amen, I tell you, wherever this Good News is proclaimed in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

Betrayed and Sold for Silver

¹⁴ Then one of the Twelve, the one called Judah of Kriot, went to the ruling kohanim ¹⁵ and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they weighed out thirty shekels^[b] of silver for him. ¹⁶ From then on, Judah began looking for a chance to hand Him over.

¹⁷ Now on the first day of matzah,^[c] the disciples came to Yeshua, saying, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

¹⁸ He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and tell him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near; at your house I am to keep the Passover with My disciples.”’” ¹⁹ The disciples did as Yeshua had ordered them, and they prepared the Passover.^[d]

²⁰ Now when it was evening, Yeshua was reclining at the table with the Twelve. ²¹ As they were eating, He said, “Amen, I tell you, one of you will betray Me.”

²² And being very sorrowful, they began, each one, to say to Him, “I’m not the one, am I, Master?”

²³ And He replied, “The one who dipped his hand in the bowl with Me, he’s the one who will betray Me. ^{[e] 24} The Son of Man indeed goes, just as it is written about Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!^[f] It would have been better for that man if he had not been born!”

²⁵ And Judah, the one betraying Him, replied, “I’m not the one, am I, Rabbi?”

Yeshua said to him, “You’ve said it yourself.”

²⁶ Now while they were eating, Yeshua took matzah;^[g] and after He offered the bracha, He broke and gave to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” ²⁷ And He took a cup; and after giving thanks, He gave to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; ²⁸ for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the removal of sins. ^{[h] 29} But I say to you, I will never drink of this fruit of the vine from now on, until that day when I drink it anew with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

³⁰ After singing the Hallel,^[i] they went out to the Mount of Olives. ³¹ Then Yeshua said to them, “This night you will all fall away because of Me; for it is written,

³² But after I am raised up, I will go before you to the Galilee.”

³³ But Peter replied to Him, “Though all fall away because of You, I’ll never fall away.”

³⁴ Yeshua said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”

³⁵ “Even if I must die with You,” Peter says to Him, “I’ll never deny You!” And so said all the disciples.

“Your Will Be Done”

³⁶ Then Yeshua comes with them to a place called Gethsemane, and He tells the disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷ And He took along Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, and He began to be sorrowful and troubled. ³⁸ Then He tells them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.” ³⁹ Going a little farther, He fell face down and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me! Yet not as I will, but as You will.”

⁴⁰ Then He comes to the disciples and finds them sleeping; and He tells Peter, “So couldn’t you keep watch with Me for one hour? ⁴¹ Keep watching and praying, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” ⁴² Again for a second time He went away and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, let Your will be done.” ⁴³ And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴ So He left them again and prayed a third time, saying the same words once more. ⁴⁵ Then He comes to the disciples and says to them, “Still sleeping? Taking your rest? Look, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being delivered into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶ Get up, let’s go! Look, My betrayer is near.”

Taken into Custody

⁴⁷ While Yeshua was still speaking, here came Judah, one of the Twelve, and with him a big crowd with swords and clubs, from the ruling kohanim and elders of the people. ⁴⁸ Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, ‘The One I kiss, He’s the One—seize Him!’ ⁴⁹ And immediately Judah drew near^[k] to Yeshua and said, “Shalom, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

⁵⁰ “Friend,” Yeshua said to him, “do what you’ve come to do.” Then they came up and threw their hands on Yeshua and seized Him. ⁵¹ And suddenly, one of those with Yeshua stretched out his hand and drew his sword, and he struck the kohen gadol’s servant and cut off his ear.

⁵² Then Yeshua said to him, “Put your sword back in its place! For all who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. ^{[l] 53} Or do you suppose that I cannot call on My Father, and at once He will place at My side twelve legions^[m] of angels? ⁵⁴ How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”

⁵⁵ At that hour Yeshua said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, to capture Me as you would a revolutionary?^[n] Every day I sat teaching in the Temple, and you didn’t seize Me. ⁵⁶ But all this has happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples fled, abandoning Him.

⁵⁷ Now those who had seized Yeshua led Him away to Caiaphas, the kohen gadol, where the Torah scholars and elders had gathered. ⁵⁸ Peter was following Him from a distance as far as the courtyard of the kohen gadol. And after going inside, he was sitting with the guards, to see the outcome.

Yeshua’s Trial Begins

⁵⁹ Now the ruling kohanim and all the Sanhedrin kept trying to get false testimony against Yeshua so they could put Him to death. ⁶⁰ But they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward ⁶¹ and said, “This fellow said, ‘I’m able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days!’”

⁶² The kohen gadol stood up and said to Yeshua, “Have You no answer? What’s this they’re testifying against You?” ⁶³ But Yeshua kept silent.

The kohen gadol said to Him, “I charge You under oath by the living God, tell us if You are Mashiach Ben-Elohim!”^[o]

⁶⁴ “As you have said,” replied Yeshua. “Besides that, I tell you, soon after you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”^[p]

⁶⁵ Then the kohen gadol tore his clothes and said, “Blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, you’ve heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶ What’s your verdict?”^[q]

“Guilty,” they answered. “He deserves death!” ⁶⁷ Then they spat in His face and pounded Him with their fists.^[r] Others slapped Him and demanded, ⁶⁸ “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Which one hit You?”

Peter Denies Yeshua

⁶⁹ Meanwhile, Peter was sitting in the courtyard. A servant girl came over to him and said, “You also were with Yeshua of the Galilee.”

⁷⁰ But he denied it before everyone, saying, “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

⁷¹ When he went onto the porch, another servant girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Yeshua ha-Natzrati.”

⁷² Again he denied it with an oath: “I don’t know the Man!”

⁷³ A little while later, some of the bystanders approached Peter and said to him, “Surely you’re one of them, too—your accent gives you away.”

⁷⁴ Then he began to curse^[s] and to swear an oath: “I do not know the Man!” Right then, a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵ Then Peter reminded himself of the word Yeshua had said: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went away and wept bitterly.