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.

Anointed for Burial

14 Now it was two days before Passover and the Feast of Matzah. The ruling kohanim and Torah scholars were searching for a way to grab Yeshua by stealth and kill Him. ² “But not during the festival,” they were saying, “so there won’t be a riot among the people.”

³ And while Yeshua was in Bethany at the house of Simon ha-Metzora, reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive oil of pure nard. Breaking open the jar, she poured it over His head. ⁴ But some got angry and said among themselves, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? ⁵ It could have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor!” And they kept scolding her.

⁶ But Yeshua said, “Leave her alone. Why do you cause trouble for her? She’s done Me a mitzvah. ⁷ For you always have the poor with you, and you can do good for them whenever you want; but you won’t always have Me. ⁸ She did what she could—she came beforehand to anoint My body for burial. ⁹ Amen, I tell you, wherever the Good News is proclaimed in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

¹⁰ Then Judah from Kriot, one of the Twelve, went out to the ruling kohanim to betray Yeshua to them. ¹¹ They were delighted when they heard this and promised to give him money. And Judah began looking for a chance to hand Him over.

New Covenant at the Last Seder

¹² Now on the first day of matzah, when they were slaughtering the Passover lamb, Yeshua’s disciples say to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

¹³ He sends two of His disciples and tells them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, ¹⁴ and wherever he enters, tell the homeowner, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is My guest room, where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ ¹⁵ He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.”

¹⁶ The disciples went out, came to the city, and found just what Yeshua had told them. And they prepared the Passover. ¹⁷ When it was evening, He came with the Twelve. ¹⁸ As they were reclining and eating, Yeshua said, “Amen, I tell you, one of you who is eating with Me will betray Me.”

¹⁹ They began to be sorrowful and to say to Him one by one, “I’m not the one, am I?”

²⁰ He said to them, “It’s one of the Twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl. ^{[a] 21} For 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! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born!”

²² And while they were eating, He took matzah;^[b] and after He offered the bracha, He broke it and gave it to them and said, “Take; this is My body.” ²³ And He took a cup; and after giving thanks, He gave to them and they all drank from it. ²⁴ And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. ^{[c] 25} Amen, I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.”

Denial Predicted

²⁶ After singing the Hallel,^[d] they went out to the Mount of Olives. ²⁷ And Yeshua said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written,

²⁸ But after I’m raised up, I will go before you to the Galilee.”

²⁹ Peter said to Him, “Even though all fall away, I won’t!”

³⁰ And Yeshua said to him, “Amen, I tell you, today—this very night—before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”

³¹ But Peter kept insisting exceedingly, “Even if I must die with You, I’ll never deny You!” And they all were saying the same.

A Night of Painful Prayer

³² Then they come to a place whose name is Gethsemane; and Yeshua says to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” ³³ He takes with Him Peter, Jacob, and John; and He began to be deeply distressed and troubled. ³⁴ And He tells them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch.”

³⁵ Going a little farther, He fell to the ground and began praying that if possible this hour might pass Him by. ³⁶ And He was saying, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You! Take this cup from Me! Yet not what I will, but what You will.”

³⁷ Then He comes and finds them sleeping; and He tells Peter, “Simon, you’re asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? ³⁸ Keep watching and praying, so that you do not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” ³⁹ Again He went away and prayed, saying the same words. ⁴⁰ And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy. They didn’t know what to answer Him. ⁴¹ And He comes the third time and says to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is being delivered into the hands of sinners. ⁴² Get up, let’s go! Look, My betrayer is near.”

Betrayed and Abandoned

⁴³ Right away, while Yeshua was still speaking, Judah comes up, one of the Twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the ruling kohanim, Torah scholars, and elders. ⁴⁴ Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “The One I kiss, He’s the One! Seize Him and lead Him away under guard.”

⁴⁵ As soon as Judah came, he drew near^[f] to Yeshua and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed Him. ⁴⁶ Then they threw their hands on Yeshua and seized Him. ⁴⁷ But one of the bystanders, drawing his sword, struck the servant of the kohen gadol and cut off his ear.

⁴⁸ Yeshua said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, to capture Me as you would against a revolutionary? ⁴⁹ Every day I was with you in the Temple teaching, and you didn’t seize Me. But this is so that the Scriptures^[g] would be fulfilled.” ⁵⁰ And all fled, abandoning Him. ^{[h] 51} A certain young man was following Him, with nothing but a linen cloth around his body, and they grabbed him. ⁵² But he ran away naked, leaving behind the linen cloth.

Falsely Charged

⁵³ Then they led Yeshua away to the kohen gadol. And all the ruling kohanim, elders, and Torah scholars gathered. ⁵⁴ Peter had followed Him from a distance, right into the courtyard of the kohen gadol. He was sitting with the guards, warming himself by the fire.

⁵⁵ Now the ruling kohanim and all the Sanhedrin kept trying to get evidence against Yeshua so they could put Him to death, but they weren’t finding any. ⁵⁶ Many were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimony wasn’t consistent. ⁵⁷ Some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him, saying, ⁵⁸ “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this Temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’” ⁵⁹ Yet even then, their testimony didn’t agree.

⁶⁰ The kohen gadol stood up in the middle and questioned Yeshua, saying, “Do You have no answer? What is this they’re testifying against You?”

⁶¹ But keeping silent, Yeshua did not answer. Again the kohen gadol questioned Him, “Are you Mashiach, Son of the Blessed One?”^[i]

⁶² “I am,” said Yeshua, “and you shall see ‘the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Powerful One,’ and ‘coming with the clouds of heaven’!”^[j]

⁶³ Tearing his clothes, the kohen gadol says, “Why do we still need witnesses? ⁶⁴ You’ve heard the blasphemy. What seems right to you?”

Then all condemned Him as deserving death. ⁶⁵ Some began to spit on Him, to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, saying, “Prophesy!” Also the guards slapped Him around.

The Rooster Crows

⁶⁶ As Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the kohen gadol comes by. ⁶⁷ Seeing Peter warming himself, she looked straight at him. “You also were with Yeshua of Natzeret,” she says.

⁶⁸ But he denied it, saying, “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about!” Then he went outside to the gateway, and a rooster crowed.

⁶⁹ Seeing him, the servant girl began again to tell the bystanders, “This is one of them.”

⁷⁰ But again he denied it. And a little while later, the bystanders were again saying to Peter, “Surely you’re one of them, for you’re also a Galilean.”

⁷¹ But he began to curse himself and to swear an oath: “I do not know this Man you’re talking about!” ⁷² Right then, a rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter called to mind the word Yeshua had said to him: “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And he broke down and began to weep.

Yeshua’s Birth in Bethlehem

2 Now it happened in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus to register all the world’s inhabitants. ² This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ Everyone was traveling to be registered in his own city.

⁴ Now Joseph also went up from the Galilee, out of the town of Natzeret to Judah, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was from the house and family of David. ^{[a] 5} He went to register with Miriam, who was engaged to him and was pregnant.

⁶ But while they were there, the time came for her to give birth— ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped Him in strips of cloth and set Him down in a manger, since there was no room for them in the inn.

Shepherds Witness Angelic Praises

⁸ Now there were shepherds in the same region, living out in the fields and guarding their flock at night. ⁹ Suddenly an angel of Adonai stood before them, and the glory of Adonai shone all around them; and they were absolutely terrified.

¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I proclaim Good News to you, which will be great joy to all the people. ¹¹ A Savior is born to you today in the city of David, who is Messiah the Lord. ¹² And the sign to you is this: You will find an infant wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.”

¹³ And suddenly a multitude of heavenly armies appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁵ And when the angels departed from them into the heavens, the shepherds were saying to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which Adonai has made known to us!” ¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Miriam and Joseph, and the Baby lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen this, they made known the word that had been spoken to them concerning this Child. ¹⁸ And all those who heard were amazed at the things the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Miriam treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, just as they had been told.

Temple Prophets Rejoice

²¹ When eight days had passed for His brit-milah,^[b] He was named Yeshua, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. ²² And when the days of their purification were fulfilled,^[c] according to the Torah of Moses, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present to Adonai. ²³ As it is written in the Torah of Adonai, “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to Adonai.” ^{[d] 24} So they offered a sacrifice according to what was said in the Torah of Adonai: “a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons.”^[e]

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and pious, waiting for the consolation of Israel.^[f] The Ruach ha-Kodesh was on him. ²⁶ And it had been revealed to him by the Ruach ha-Kodesh that he would not die before he had seen the Anointed One of Adonai. ²⁷ So in the Ruach, Simeon came into the Temple; and when the parents brought the Child Yeshua to do for Him according to the custom of the Torah, ²⁸ Simeon received Him into his arms and offered a bracha to God, saying,

³³ And His father and mother were marveling at the things that were said about Him. ³⁴ And Simeon offered a bracha over them and said to Miriam His mother, “Behold, this One is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that is opposed, ³⁵ so the thoughts of many hearts may be uncovered. (And even for you, a sword will pierce through your soul.)”

³⁶ Now Anna, a daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher, was a prophetess. She was well advanced in age, having lived with a husband only^[i] seven years ³⁷ and then as a widow until age eighty-four. She never left the Temple, serving night and day with fasting and prayers. ³⁸ And coming up at that very instant, she began praising God and speaking about the Child to all those waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.^[j]

³⁹ When Joseph and Miriam had completed everything according to the Torah of Adonai, they returned to the Galilee, to their own city of Natzeret. ⁴⁰ The Child kept growing and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon Him.

The Boy Astonishes Jerusalem Scholars

⁴¹ Now His parents were going every year to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. ^{[k] 42} When He became twelve years old, they were going up according to festival custom. ⁴³ As they headed home after completing the days, the boy Yeshua remained in Jerusalem, but His parents didn’t know. ⁴⁴ Supposing He was in the caravan, they went a day’s journey, then began looking for Him among relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for Him.

⁴⁶ After three days they found Him in the Temple, sitting in the center of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ And all those hearing Him were astonished at His understanding and His answers. ⁴⁸ When His parents saw Yeshua, they were overwhelmed. And His mother said to Him, “Child, why did you do this to us? Look! Your father and I were searching for You frantically!”

⁴⁹ He said to them, “Why were you searching for Me? Didn’t you know that I must be about the things of My Father?” ⁵⁰ But they did not grasp the message He was telling them.

⁵¹ Then He went down with them to Natzeret and was obedient to them. But His mother treasured all these words in her heart. ⁵² And Yeshua kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

The Day before Pesach

22 Now the Feast of Matzah, which is called Passover, was approaching. ² The ruling kohanim and Torah scholars were searching for a way to do away with Yeshua, for they were afraid of the people.

³ Then satan entered into Judah, the one from Kriot, one of the twelve. ⁴ And he went away and talked with the ruling kohanim and officers of the Temple guard about how he might deliver Yeshua over to them. ⁵ They were delighted and agreed to give him money. ⁶ So he agreed and began looking for a chance to hand Yeshua over to them without a crowd.

⁷ Then came the day of matzah when the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. ⁸ Now Yeshua sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, so we may eat.”

⁹ Then they said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare?”

¹⁰ And He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters. ¹¹ And say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ ¹² And with that, he will show you a large upper room, fully furnished. Make preparations there.” ¹³ So they left and found just what Yeshua had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

The Seder in the Upper Room

¹⁴ When the hour came, Yeshua reclined at table, and the emissaries with Him. ¹⁵ And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. ¹⁶ For I tell you, I will never eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

¹⁷ And when He had taken a cup and offered the bracha, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. ¹⁸ For I tell you that I will never drink of the fruit of the vine from now on, until the kingdom of God comes.”

¹⁹ And when He had taken matzah^[a] and offered the bracha, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, given for you. Do this in memory of Me.” ²⁰ In the same way, He took the cup after the meal, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you. ^{[b] 21} But look, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. ^{[c] 22} For indeed, the Son of Man is going as has been predetermined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”

²³ So they began to discuss among themselves which of them it might be who would do this thing. ²⁴ But there was also a quarrel among them about which of them is considered the greatest. ²⁵ And Yeshua said to them, “The kings of the nations have mastery over them, and those exercising authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ ²⁶ But with you, it is not so. Rather, let the one who is greatest among you become like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves. ²⁷ For who is greater, the one who reclines or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines? But I am among you as one who serves.

²⁸ “You are the ones who have remained with Me in My times of testing. ²⁹ And just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, so I grant to you ³⁰ that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you shall sit upon thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

³¹ “Simon, Simon! Indeed, satan has demanded to sift you all like wheat. ³² But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

³³ But Simon said to Him, “Master, I am ready to go with You even to prison and to death!”

³⁴ But Yeshua said, “I tell you, Peter, a rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”

³⁵ And He said to them, “When I sent you out without a money pouch and travel bag and sandals, you didn’t lack anything, did you?”

They said, “No, nothing.”

³⁶ Then He said to them, “But now, whoever has a money pouch must carry it as well as a travel bag. And whoever does not own a sword must sell his cloak and buy one. ³⁷ For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me: ‘And he was counted with the lawless.’^[d] For what is written about Me is being fulfilled.”

³⁸ But they said, “Master, look here! Two swords!”

And He said to them, “It is enough.”

Yeshua Prays at the Mount of Olives

³⁹ And Yeshua came out and went as usual to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed Him. ⁴⁰ When he reached the place, He said to them, “Pray that you will not enter into temptation.” ⁴¹ And He pulled back about a stone’s throw from them, got on His knees, and began to pray, ⁴² saying, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

⁴³ Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. ⁴⁴ And in His anguish, He was praying fervently; and His sweat was like drops of blood falling down on the ground. ⁴⁵ When He rose up from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them asleep, exhausted from grief. ⁴⁶ And He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation.”

Betrayed!

⁴⁷ While Yeshua was speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judah, one of the Twelve, approached Yeshua to kiss Him. ⁴⁸ But Yeshua said to him, “Judah, with a kiss you betray the Son of Man?”^[e]

⁴⁹ When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, “Master, shall we strike with the sword?” ⁵⁰ And one of them struck the servant of the kohen gadol and cut off his right ear.

⁵¹ But Yeshua answered and said, “Stop this now!” And He touched the man’s ear and healed him.

⁵² Then Yeshua said to the ruling kohanim, officers of the Temple guard, and the elders who had come against Him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as you would against a revolutionary? ⁵³ Every day I was with you in the Temple, yet you did not lay a finger on Me. But this is yours—the hour and the power of darkness.” ⁵⁴ Then they seized Yeshua and led Him away and brought Him into the house of the kohen gadol. But Peter was following from a distance.

Denied Three Times

⁵⁵ Now they had lit a fire in the center of the courtyard and sat down together, and Peter was sitting among them. ⁵⁶ Then a servant girl saw him sitting at the fire. She looked straight at him and said, “This one was with Him too!”

⁵⁷ But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I don’t know Him!”

⁵⁸ A little later, another saw him and said, “You too are one of them.”

But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”

⁵⁹ And about an hour later, another began to insist, saying, “Certainly this fellow was with Him, for he too is a Galilean!”

⁶⁰ But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” And immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. ⁶¹ And the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.’

⁶² And Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Beaten by Roman Soldiers

⁶³ Now the men who were guarding Yeshua began mocking and beating Him. ⁶⁴ They blindfolded Him and kept asking Him, saying, “Prophesy! Who is the one who hit You?” ⁶⁵ And reviling Him, they were saying many other things against Him.

Brought Before the Council

⁶⁶ As it become day, the elders of the people gathered together, both ruling kohanim and Torah scholars, and they led Him away to their council, saying, ⁶⁷ “If You are Mashiach, tell us.”

But Yeshua said to them, “If I tell you, you will never believe; ⁶⁸ and if I ask you, you will never answer. ⁶⁹ But from now on, the Son of Man is seated at the right hand of the power of God.”^[f]

⁷⁰ Then they all said, “Are You then Ben-Elohim?”

And to them He said, “You say that I am.”

⁷¹ Then they said, “What further need do we have for testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth!”

Water to Wine

2 On the third day, there was a wedding at Cana in the Galilee. Yeshua’s mother was there, ² and Yeshua and His disciples were also invited to the wedding. ³ When the wine ran out, Yeshua’s mother said to Him, “They don’t have any wine!”

⁴ Yeshua said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with you and Me? My hour hasn’t come yet.”

⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”

⁶ Now there were six stone jars, used for the Jewish ritual of purification, each holding two to three measures. ^{[a] 7} Yeshua said to them, “Fill the jars with water!” So they filled them up to the top. ⁸ Then He said to them, “Take some water out, and give it to the headwaiter.” And they brought it.

⁹ Now the headwaiter did not know where it had come from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. As the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, he calls the bridegroom ¹⁰ and says to him, “Everyone brings out the good wine first, and whenever they are drunk, then the worse. But you’ve reserved the good wine until now!” ¹¹ Yeshua did this, the first of the signs, in Cana of the Galilee—He revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

Yeshua Purges the Temple

¹² After this Yeshua went down to Capernaum with His mother, brothers,^[b] and disciples, and they stayed there a few days. ¹³ The Jewish feast of Passover was near, so Yeshua went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ In the Temple, He found the merchants selling oxen, sheep, and doves; also the moneychangers sitting there. ¹⁵ Then He made a whip of cords and drove them all out of the Temple, both the sheep and oxen. He dumped out the coins of the moneychangers and overturned their tables. ¹⁶ To those selling doves, He said, “Get these things out of here! Stop making My Father’s house a marketplace!” ¹⁷ His disciples remembered that it is written, “Zeal for your House will consume Me!”^[c]

¹⁸ The Judean leaders responded, “What sign do You show us, since You are doing these things?”

¹⁹ “Destroy this Temple,” Yeshua answered them, “and in three days I will raise it up.”

²⁰ The Judean leaders then said to Him, “Forty-six years this Temple was being built, and You will raise it up in three days?” ²¹ But He was talking about the temple of His body. ²² So after He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He was talking about this. Then they believed the Scripture and the word that Yeshua had spoken.

²³ Now when He was in Jerusalem for the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, seeing the signs He was doing. ²⁴ But Yeshua did not entrust Himself to them, because He knew all men. ²⁵ He did not need anyone to testify about man, for He knew what was in man.

New Manna in the Wilderness

6 Afterwards, Yeshua went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. ² A large crowd kept following Him, because they were watching the signs He was performing on the sick. ³ Then Yeshua went up the mountainside and sat down there with His disciples. ⁴ Passover, the Jewish feast, was near.

⁵ Lifting up His eyes and seeing a large crowd coming to Him, Yeshua said to Philip, “Where will we buy bread so these may eat?” ⁶ Now Yeshua was saying this to test him, for He knew what He was about to do.

⁷ Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii^[a] isn’t enough to buy bread for each to get a little bit!”

⁸ One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ⁹ “There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish—but what’s that for so many?”

¹⁰ Yeshua said, “Make the people recline.” There was much grass in the area. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. ¹¹ Then Yeshua picked up the loaves. And having given thanks, He distributed bread to everyone who was reclining. He did the same with the fish, as much as they wanted.

¹² When the people were full, Yeshua said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftovers, so nothing is wasted.” ¹³ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves, which were left over by those who had finished eating.

¹⁴ When the people saw the sign that Yeshua performed, they began to say, “This is most certainly the Prophet who is to come into the world!” ^{[b] 15} Realizing that they were about to come and seize Him by force to make Him king, Yeshua withdrew again to the mountain, Himself alone.

The Savior on the Sea

¹⁶ Now when evening came, Yeshua’s disciples went down to the sea. ¹⁷ Getting into a boat, they set out to cross the sea toward Capernaum. By now it had become dark, and still Yeshua had not come to them. ¹⁸ A great wind began to blow, stirring up the sea.

¹⁹ After they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia,^[c] they catch sight of Yeshua walking on the sea, approaching the boat. They were terrified! ²⁰ But Yeshua says to them, “I am. Don’t be afraid.” ^{[d] 21} Then they wanted to take Him into the boat, and right away the boat reached the shore where they were headed.

The Bread from Heaven

²² The next day, the crowd remaining on the other side of the sea realized that no other boat had been there except the one, and that Yeshua hadn’t gone into the boat with His disciples, but that His disciples had gone away alone. ²³ Some other boats from Tiberias came close to the place where they had eaten the bread after the Master had given thanks. ²⁴ So when the crowd realized that neither Yeshua nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and set off for Capernaum to find Him. ²⁵ When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

²⁶ Yeshua responded to them, “Amen, amen I tell you, you seek Me not because you saw signs, but because you ate all the bread and were filled. ²⁷ Don’t work for food that spoils, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on Him, God the Father has put the seal of approval.”

²⁸ Then they said to Him, “What shall we do to perform the works of God?”

²⁹ Yeshua answered them, “This is the work of God, to trust in the One He sent.”

³⁰ So they said to Him, “Then what sign do You perform, so that we may see and believe You? What work do You do? ³¹ Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘Out of heaven He gave them bread to eat.’”^[e]

³² Yeshua answered them, “Amen, amen I tell you, it isn’t Moses who has given you bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is the One coming down from heaven and giving life to the world.”

³⁴ So they said to Him, “Sir, give us this bread from now on!”

³⁵ Yeshua said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty. ³⁶ But I told you that you have seen Me, yet you do not believe. ³⁷ Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and anyone coming to Me I will never reject. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven not to do My own will but the will of the One who sent Me.

³⁹ “Now this is the will of the One who sent Me, that I lose not one of all He has given Me, but raise each one on the last day. ⁴⁰ For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and trusts in Him may have eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day.”

⁴¹ Some of the Judeans^[f] started to grumble about Him, because He said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” ⁴² They were saying, “Isn’t this Yeshua the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can He now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

⁴³ Yeshua answered, “Stop grumbling among yourselves! ⁴⁴ No one can come to Me unless My Father who sent Me draws him—and I will raise him up on the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’^[g] Everyone who has listened and learned from the Father comes to Me. ⁴⁶ Not that anyone has seen the Father except the One who is from God—He has seen the Father.

⁴⁷ “Amen, amen I tell you, he who believes has eternal life. ⁴⁸ I am the bread of life. ⁴⁹ Your fathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. ⁵⁰ This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread, which came down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread, he will live forever. This bread is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

⁵² Then the Jews began arguing with one another, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?”

⁵³ So Yeshua said to them, “Amen, amen I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. ⁵⁴ He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

⁵⁵ “For My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink. ⁵⁶ He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. ⁵⁷ Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so the one who eats of Me will also live because of Me. ⁵⁸ This is the bread that came down from heaven—not like the bread your fathers ate and then died. He who eats this bread will live forever.”

⁵⁹ He said these things while teaching at the synagogue in Capernaum.

Fallout from a Hard Teaching

⁶⁰ So when many of His disciples heard this, they said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can listen to it?”

⁶¹ But Yeshua knew His disciples were murmuring, so He said to them, “Does this offend you? ⁶² Then what if you see the Son of Man going back up to the place where He was before? ⁶³ It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no benefit. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and are life! ⁶⁴ Yet some of you do not trust.” Yeshua knew from the beginning who were the ones who did not trust, as well as which one would betray Him.

⁶⁵ Then He told them, “For this reason I’ve told you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by the Father.”

⁶⁶ From this time, many of His disciples left and quit walking with Him. ⁶⁷ So Yeshua said to the Twelve, “You don’t want to leave also, do you?”

⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life! ⁶⁹ We have trusted and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

⁷⁰ Yeshua answered them, “Didn’t I choose you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is the adversary!” ⁷¹ Now He was speaking of Judah, the son of Simon of Kriot—for he, one of the Twelve, was about to betray Him.

Lazarus Is Dead

11 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Miriam and her sister Martha. ² This was the same Miriam who anointed the Master with perfume and wiped His feet with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was sick. ³ So the sisters sent a word to Yeshua, saying, “Master, the one you love is sick!”

⁴ When Yeshua heard this, He said, “This sickness will not end in death. It is for God’s glory, so that Ben-Elohim may be glorified through it.” ⁵ Now Yeshua loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶ However, when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two more days.

⁷ Then after this, He said to His disciples, “Let’s go up to Judea again.”

⁸ “Rabbi,” the disciples say to Him, “just now the Judean leaders were trying to stone You! And You’re going back there again?”

⁹ Yeshua answered, “Aren’t there twelve hours in the day? If a man walks in the day, he doesn’t stumble, because he sees the light of the world. ¹⁰ But if a man should walk around at night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”

¹¹ After He said this, He tells them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I’m going there to wake him up.”

¹² So the disciples said to Him, “Master, if he has fallen asleep, he will get better.” ¹³ Now Yeshua had spoken about his death, but they thought He was talking about ordinary sleep.

¹⁴ Then Yeshua told them clearly, “Lazarus is dead! ¹⁵ I’m glad for your sake I wasn’t there, so that you may believe. Anyway, let’s go to him!”

¹⁶ Then Thomas called the Twin^[a] said to the other disciples, “Let’s go too, so that we may die with Him!”

Comforting the Mourners

¹⁷ So when Yeshua arrived, He discovered that Lazarus had been in the tomb already for four days. ¹⁸ Bethany was less than two miles^[b] from Jerusalem, ¹⁹ and many of the Judeans had come to Martha and Miriam to console them about their brother.

²⁰ When Martha heard that Yeshua was coming, she went out to meet Him; but Miriam sat in the house. ²¹ Martha said to Yeshua, “Master, if You had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died! ²² But I know, even now, that whatever You may ask of God, He will give You.”

²³ Yeshua said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

²⁴ Martha said to Him, “I know, he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

²⁵ Yeshua said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life! Whoever believes in Me, even if he dies, shall live. ²⁶ And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

²⁷ She says to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, Ben-Elohim who has come into the world.” ²⁸ After she said this, she left and secretly told her sister Miriam, “The Teacher is here, and He’s calling for you.” ²⁹ As soon as Miriam heard, she quickly got up and was coming to Him. ³⁰ Now Yeshua had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met Him. ³¹ The Judeans, who were with Miriam in the house and comforting her, seeing how quickly she got up and went out, followed her. They thought she was going to the tomb to weep there.

³² So when Miriam came to where Yeshua was, she saw Him and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Master, if You had been here, my brother would not have died!”

³³ When Yeshua saw her weeping, and the Judeans who came with her weeping, He was deeply troubled in spirit and Himself agitated. ³⁴ “Where have you laid him?” He asked.

“Come and see, Master,” they tell Him.

³⁵ Yeshua wept. ³⁶ So the Judeans said, “See how He loved him!”

³⁷ But some of them said, “Couldn’t this One, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have also kept this man from dying?”

Yeshua’s Word Raises the Dead

³⁸ So Yeshua, again deeply troubled within Himself, comes to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. ³⁹ Yeshua says, “Roll away the stone!”

Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to Him, “Master, by this time he stinks! He’s been dead for four days!”

⁴⁰ Yeshua says to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

⁴¹ So they rolled away the stone. Yeshua lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard Me. ⁴² I knew that You always hear Me; but because of this crowd standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.”

⁴³ And when He had said this, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴ He who had been dead came out, wrapped in burial clothes binding his hands and feet, with a cloth over his face. And Yeshua tells them, “Cut him loose, and let him go!”

Better that One Man Die

⁴⁵ Therefore many of the Judeans, who had come to Miriam and had seen what Yeshua had done, put their trust in Him. ⁴⁶ But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Yeshua had done.

⁴⁷ So the ruling kohanim and Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we doing?” they asked. “This Man is performing many signs! ⁴⁸ If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our holy place and our nation.”

⁴⁹ But one of them, Caiaphas, who was kohen gadol that year, said to them, “You know nothing! ⁵⁰ You don’t take into account that it is better for you that one man die for the people rather than for the whole nation to be destroyed.”

⁵¹ Now he did not say this by himself; but as the kohen gadol that year, he prophesied that Yeshua would die for the nation. ^{[c] 52} And not for the nation only, but also so that He might gather together into one the scattered children of God.^[d]

⁵³ So from that day on, they plotted to kill Him. ⁵⁴ Therefore Yeshua no longer walked openly among the Judeans, but went from there to the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim. He stayed there with His disciples.

⁵⁵ Now the Jewish Passover was near; and many people went up out of the regions to Jerusalem before Passover, to purify themselves. ⁵⁶ So they were searching for Yeshua, saying to one another as they stood in the Temple, “What do you think? Won’t He come to the feast at all?” ⁵⁷ Now the ruling kohanim and Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it so that they might arrest Him.