Matthew 26
Expanded Bible
The Plan to Kill Jesus(A)
26 After Jesus finished saying all these things [C this is the end of Jesus’ fifth and final discourse in Matthew; see 7:28], he told his ·followers [disciples], 2 “You know that ·the day after tomorrow [L two days from now] is the day of the Passover Feast [C the festival during which an unblemished lamb was sacrificed]. On that day the Son of Man will be ·given to his enemies [handed over] to be crucified.”
3 Then the ·leading [T chief] priests and the elders ·had a meeting [assembled] at the ·palace [court] of the high priest, named Caiaphas. 4 At the meeting, they ·planned [plotted] ·to set a trap [to act secretly/treacherously] to arrest Jesus and kill him. 5 But they said, “We must not do it during the ·feast [Passover festival], because the people might cause a riot.”
Perfume for Jesus’ Burial(B)
6 Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon, ·who had a skin disease [L the leper; C for leprosy, see 8:2; Simon may have been healed by Jesus.]. 7 While Jesus was there, a woman approached him with an alabaster ·jar [vial] filled with expensive perfume. She poured this perfume on Jesus’ head while he was ·eating [L reclining; C the posture for a banquet or dinner party].
8 His ·followers [disciples] were ·upset [indignant] when they saw the woman do this. They asked, “Why waste that perfume? 9 It could have been sold for a great deal of money and the money given to the poor.”
10 Knowing what had happened, Jesus said, “Why are you ·troubling [bothering; criticizing] this woman? She did an ·excellent thing [beautiful/good deed] for me. 11 You will always have the poor with you [Deut. 15:11], but you will not always have me. 12 This woman poured perfume on my body to prepare me for burial. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever the ·Good News [Gospel] is preached in all the world, what this woman has done will be told, and people will remember her.”
Judas Betrays Jesus(C)
14 Then one of ·the twelve apostles [L the Twelve], [L who was called] Judas Iscariot, went to talk to the ·leading [T chief] priests. 15 He said, “What will you ·pay [give] me for ·giving [betraying; delivering] Jesus to you?” And they ·gave him [weighed/counted out] thirty silver coins [Zech. 11:12]. 16 After that, Judas watched for ·the best time [an opportunity] to ·turn Jesus in [betray him].
Jesus Eats the Passover Meal(D)
17 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the ·followers [disciples] came to Jesus. They said, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover meal?”
18 Jesus answered, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: “·The chosen time is near [L My time has come/drawn near]. I will ·have [celebrate; observe] the Passover with my ·followers [disciples] at your house.”’” 19 The ·followers [disciples] did what Jesus told them to do, and they prepared the Passover meal.
20 In the evening Jesus was ·sitting at the table [L reclining; C the posture for a banquet] with his twelve ·followers [disciples]. 21 As they were eating, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will ·turn against [betray] me.”
22 This made the ·followers [disciples] very ·sad [distressed; pained]. Each one began to say to Jesus, “·Surely, Lord, I am not the one, am I [Surely not I, Lord; or Is it I, Lord]?”
23 Jesus answered, “The man who has dipped his hand with me into the bowl [C probably not a signal, but means “one who shares close fellowship with me”] is the one who will ·turn against [betray] me. 24 The Son of Man will ·die [go to his fate; L go], just as the Scriptures say. But ·how terrible it will be for [L woe to] the person ·who hands the Son of Man over to be killed [L by whom the Son of Man is betrayed]. It would be better for him if he had never been born.”
25 Then Judas, who would ·give Jesus to his enemies [betray him], said to Jesus, “·Teacher [L Rabbi], ·surely I am not the one, am I [surely not I; or is it I]?”
Jesus answered, “·Yes, it is you [L You have said it].”
The Lord’s Supper(E)
26 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread and ·thanked God for [blessed] it and ·broke [divided] it. Then he gave it to his ·followers [disciples] and said, “·Take this bread and eat it [L Take, eat]; this is my body.”
27 Then Jesus took a cup and ·thanked God for it [gave thanks] and gave it to the ·followers [disciples]. He said, “Every one of you drink [L from] this. 28 This is my blood ·which is the new[a] agreement that God makes with his people [or which confirms/establishes the new covenant; L of the new covenant; Ex. 24:8. Jer. 31:31–34]. This blood is poured out for many ·to forgive their [T for the remission of] sins [Is. 53:12]. 29 I tell you this: I will not drink of this ·fruit of the vine [wine] again until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
30 After singing a hymn [C probably the Hallel psalms (Ps. 113—118), sung during the Passover meal], they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus’ Followers Will Leave Him(F)
31 Jesus told ·his followers [L them], “Tonight you will all ·stumble in your faith [fall away; desert] on account of me, because it is written in the Scriptures:
‘I will ·kill [strike] the shepherd,
and the sheep [L of the flock] will ·scatter [be scattered]’ [Zech. 13:7].
32 But after ·I rise from the dead [L I am raised], I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
33 Peter said, “Everyone else may ·stumble in their faith [fall away; desert] because of you, but I will not.”
34 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, tonight before the rooster crows you will ·say three times you don’t know me [deny/disown me three times].”
35 But Peter said, “Even if I must die with you, I will never ·say that I don’t know [deny/disown] you!” And all the other ·followers [disciples] said the same thing.
Jesus Prays Alone(G)
36 Then Jesus went with his ·followers [disciples] to a place called Gethsemane. He said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him, and he began to be very ·sad [sorrowful] and ·troubled [anguished; distressed]. 38 He said to them, “My ·heart [soul] is ·full of sorrow [overwhelmed with grief], to the point of death. Stay here and ·watch [stay awake; be alert] with me.”
39 After walking a little farther away from them, Jesus fell [with his face] to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, ·do not give me [L let pass from me] this ·cup of suffering [L cup; C suffering is metaphorically portrayed as something bitter to drink]. But do ·what you want [your will], not ·what I want [my will].” 40 Then Jesus went back to his ·followers [disciples] and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “You men could not ·stay awake [watch] with me for one hour? 41 ·Stay awake [Keep watch] and pray for strength ·against temptation [or not to fail the test]. The spirit ·wants to do what is right [is willing], but ·the body [or human nature; T the flesh] is weak.”
42 Then Jesus went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for ·this painful thing [L this thing; C the cup of suffering; v. 39] to be taken from me, and if I must ·do [drink] it, ·I pray that what you want [L may your] will be done.”
43 Then he went back to his ·followers [disciples], and again he found them asleep, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So Jesus left them and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing.
45 Then Jesus went back to his ·followers [disciples] and said, “·Are you still sleeping and resting? [or Go ahead, sleep and have your rest!] The time has come for the Son of Man to be ·handed over to [L betrayed/delivered into the hands of] sinful people. 46 Get up, we must go. Look, here comes ·the man who has turned against me [my betrayer].”
Jesus Is Arrested(H)
47 While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of ·the twelve apostles [the Twelve], came up. With him were many people carrying swords and clubs who had been sent from the ·leading [T chief] priests and the Jewish elders of the people. 48 Judas had planned to give them a ·signal [sign], saying, “The man I kiss is ·Jesus [the one]. ·Arrest [Seize] him.” 49 At once Judas went to Jesus and said, “Greetings, ·Teacher [L Rabbi]!” and kissed him.
50 Jesus answered, “Friend, do what you came to do.”
Then the people came and grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51 ·When that happened [L And look/T behold], one of ·Jesus’ followers [L those with Jesus] reached for his sword and pulled it out. He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
52 Jesus said to the man, “Put your sword back in its place. [L For] All who ·use swords [L take the sword] will ·be killed with swords [L die/perish by the sword]. 53 ·Surely [L Don’t…?] you know I could ask my Father, and he would give me more than twelve ·armies [legions] of angels. 54 But ·it must happen this way to bring about what the Scriptures say [L how, then, could the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?].”
55 Then Jesus said to the crowd, “You came to get me with swords and clubs as if I were a ·criminal [revolutionary; rebel; L robber; C the term “robber” was used by the Romans of insurrectionists]. Every day I sat in the Temple teaching, and you did not arrest me there. 56 But all these things have happened ·so that it will come about as the prophets wrote [L to fulfill the writings/scriptures of the prophets].” Then all of Jesus’ ·followers [disciples] ·left [deserted] him and ·ran away [fled].
Jesus Before the Leaders(I)
57 Those people who ·arrested [seized] Jesus led him to the house of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the ·teachers of the law [scribes] and the elders were gathered. 58 Peter followed far behind to the courtyard of the high priest’s house, and he sat down with the guards to see ·what would happen to Jesus [L the end/outcome].
59 The ·leading [T chief] priests and the whole ·Jewish council [Sanhedrin; C the highest Jewish court] tried to find ·something false [false evidence/testimony] against Jesus so they could ·kill [execute] him. 60 Many people came and ·told lies about him [testified falsely], but the council could find no real reason to kill him. ·Then [Finally] two people came and said, 61 “This man 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, “Aren’t you going to answer? ·Don’t you have something to say about their [or What about these] ·charges [testimony] against you?” 63 But Jesus ·said nothing [was silent; Is. 53:7].
Again the high priest said to Jesus, “I ·command you by the power of [demand in the name of; put you under oath by] the living God: Tell us if you are the ·Christ [Messiah], the Son of God.”
64 Jesus answered, “·Those are your words [L You have said it/so; C an indirect affirmation]. But I tell you, ·in the future [L from now on] you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of God, the ·Powerful One [or the place of power; L power], and coming on ·clouds in the sky [the clouds of heaven; Ps. 110:1; Dan. 7:13–14].”
65 When the high priest heard this, he tore his clothes [C a sign of sorrow or outrage] and said, “This man has ·said things that are against God [blasphemed]! ·We don’t [Why should we…?] need any more witnesses; you all heard ·him say these things against God [the blasphemy]. 66 What ·do you think [is your verdict]?”
The people answered, “He ·should [deserves to; is guilty and should] die.”
67 Then the people there spat in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. Others slapped him. 68 They said, “·Prove to us that you are a prophet [L Prophesy to/for us], you ·Christ [Messiah]! Tell us who hit you!”
Peter Says He Doesn’t Know Jesus(J)
69 At that time, as Peter was sitting [L outside] in the courtyard, a servant girl came to him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”
70 But Peter denied it in front of everyone. He said, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
71 When he left the courtyard and was at the gate, another girl saw him. She said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72 Again, ·Peter said he was never with him, saying, “I swear [L he denied it with an oath, saying,] I don’t know this man Jesus!”
73 A short time later, some people standing there went to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of those who followed Jesus. The way you talk shows it [C Peter’s Galilean accent gave him away].”
74 Then Peter began to place a curse on himself and swear, “I don’t know the man.” At once, a rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered what Jesus had told him: “Before the rooster crows, you will ·say three times that you don’t know me [deny/disown me three times].” Then Peter went outside and ·cried painfully [T wept bitterly].
Footnotes
- Matthew 26:28 new Some Greek copies do not have this word. Compare Luke 22:20.
Matthew 26
Complete Jewish Bible
26 When Yeshua had finished speaking, he said to his talmidim, 2 “As you know, Pesach is two days away, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be nailed to the execution-stake.”
3 Then the head cohanim and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of Kayafa the cohen hagadol. 4 They made plans to arrest Yeshua surreptitiously and have him put to death; 5 but they said, “Not during the festival, or the people will riot.”
6 Yeshua was in Beit-Anyah, at the home of Shim‘on, the man who had had tzara’at. 7 A woman who had an alabaster jar filled with very expensive perfume approached Yeshua while he was eating and began pouring it on his head. 8 When the talmidim saw it, they became very angry. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 “This could have been sold for a lot of money and given to the poor.” 10 But Yeshua, aware of what was going on, said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me. 11 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. 12 She poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. 13 Yes! I tell you that throughout the whole world, wherever this Good News is proclaimed, what she has done will be told in her memory.”
14 Then one of the Twelve, the one called Y’hudah from K’riot, went to the head cohanim 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I turn Yeshua over to you?” They counted out thirty silver coins and gave them to Y’hudah.[a] 16 From then on he looked for a good opportunity to betray him.
17 On the first day for matzah, the talmidim came to Yeshua and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare your Seder?” 18 “Go into the city, to so-and-so,” he replied, “and tell him that the Rabbi says, ‘My time is near, my talmidim and I are celebrating Pesach at your house.’” 19 The talmidim did as Yeshua directed and prepared the Seder.
20 When evening came, Yeshua reclined with the twelve talmidim; 21 and as they were eating, he said, “Yes, I tell you that one of you is going to betray me.” 22 They became terribly upset and began asking him, one after the other, “Lord, you don’t mean me, do you?” 23 He answered, “The one who dips his matzah in the dish with me is the one who will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will die just as the Tanakh says he will; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him had he never been born!” 25 Y’hudah, the one who was betraying him, then asked, “Surely, Rabbi, you don’t mean me?” He answered, “The words are yours.”
26 While they were eating, Yeshua took a piece of matzah, made the b’rakhah, broke it, gave it to the talmidim and said, “Take! Eat! This is my body!” 27 Also he took a cup of wine, made the b’rakhah, and gave it to them, saying, “All of you, drink from it! 28 For this is my blood, which ratifies the New Covenant, my blood shed on behalf of many, so that they may have their sins forgiven. 29 I tell you, I will not drink this ‘fruit of the vine’ again until the day I drink new wine with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”
30 After singing the Hallel, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 31 Yeshua then said to them, “Tonight you will all lose faith in me, as the Tanakh says, ‘I will strike the shepherd dead, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’[b] 32 But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you into the Galil.” 33 “I will never lose faith in you,” Kefa answered, “even if everyone else does.” 34 Yeshua said to him, “Yes! I tell you that tonight before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!” 35 “Even if I must die with you,” Kefa replied, “I will never disown you!” And all the talmidim said the same thing.
36 Then Yeshua went with his talmidim to a place called Gat-Sh’manim and said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took with him Kefa and Zavdai’s two sons. Grief and anguish came over him, 38 and he said to them, “My heart is so filled with sadness that I could die! Remain here and stay awake with me.” 39 Going on a little farther, he fell on his face, praying, “My Father, if possible, let this cup pass from me! Yet — not what I want, but what you want!” 40 He returned to the talmidim and found them sleeping. He said to Kefa, “Were you so weak that you couldn’t stay awake with me for even an hour? 41 Stay awake, and pray that you will not be put to the test — the spirit indeed is eager, but human nature is weak.”
42 A second time he went off and prayed. “My Father, if this cup cannot pass away unless I drink it, let what you want be done.” 43 Again he returned and found them sleeping, their eyes were so heavy.
44 Leaving them again, he went off and prayed a third time, saying the same words. 45 Then he came to the talmidim and said, “For now, go on sleeping, take your rest. . . . Look! The time has come for the Son of Man to be betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up! Let’s go! Here comes my betrayer!”
47 While Yeshua was still speaking, Y’hudah (one of the Twelve!) came, and with him a large crowd carrying swords and clubs, from the head cohanim and elders of the people. 48 The betrayer had arranged to give them a signal: “The man I kiss is the one you want — grab him!” 49 He went straight up to Yeshua, said, “Shalom, Rabbi!” and kissed him. 50 Yeshua said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they moved forward, laid hold of Yeshua and arrested him.
51 At that, one of the men with Yeshua reached for his sword, drew it out and struck at the servant of the cohen hagadol, cutting off his ear. 52 Yeshua said to him, “Put your sword back where it belongs, for everyone who uses the sword will die by the sword. 53 Don’t you know that I can ask my Father, and he will instantly provide more than a dozen armies of angels to help me? 54 But if I did that, how could the passages in the Tanakh be fulfilled that say it has to happen this way?”
55 Then Yeshua addressed the crowd: “So you came out to take me with swords and clubs, the way you would the leader of a rebellion? Every day I sat in the Temple court, teaching; and you didn’t seize me then. 56 But all this has happened so that what the prophets wrote may be fulfilled.” Then the talmidim all deserted him and ran away.
57 Those who had seized Yeshua led him off to Kayafa the cohen hagadol, where the Torah-teachers and elders were assembled. 58 Kefa followed him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the cohen hagadol; then he went inside and sat down with the guards to see what the outcome would be.
59 The head cohanim and the whole Sanhedrin looked for some false evidence against Yeshua, so that they might put him to death. 60 But they didn’t find any, even though many liars came forward to give testimony. At last, however, two people came forward and said, 61 “This man said, ‘I can tear down God’s Temple and build it again in three days.’” 62 The cohen hagadol stood up and said, “Have you nothing to say to the accusation these men are making?” 63 Yeshua remained silent. The cohen hagadol said to him, “I put you under oath! By the living God, tell us if you are the Mashiach, the Son of God!” 64 Yeshua said to him, “The words are your own. But I tell you that one day you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of HaG’vurah and coming on the clouds of heaven.”[c] 65 At this, the cohen hagadol tore his robes. “Blasphemy!” he said. “Why do we still need witnesses? You heard him blaspheme! 66 What is your verdict?” “Guilty,” they answered. “He deserves death!” 67 Then they spit in his face and pounded him with their fists; and those who were beating him 68 said, “Now, you ‘Messiah,’ ‘prophesy’ to us: who hit you that time?”
69 Kefa was sitting outside in the courtyard when a servant girl came up to him. “You too were with Yeshua from the Galil,” she said. 70 But he denied it in front of everyone — “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” 71 He went out onto the porch, and another girl saw him and said to the people there, “This man was with Yeshua of Natzeret.” 72 Again he denied it, swearing, “I don’t know the man!” 73 After a little while, the bystanders approached Kefa and said, “You must be one of them — your accent gives you away.” 74 This time he began to invoke a curse on himself as he swore, “I do not know the man!” — and immediately a rooster crowed. 75 Kefa remembered what Yeshua had said, “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times”; and he went outside and cried bitterly.
Footnotes
- Matthew 26:15 Zechariah 11:12
- Matthew 26:31 Zechariah 13:7
- Matthew 26:64 Daniel 7:13; Psalm 110:1
Matthew 26
Good News Translation
The Plot against Jesus(A)
26 When Jesus had finished teaching all these things, he said to his disciples, 2 (B)“In two days, as you know, it will be the Passover Festival, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
3 Then the chief priests and the elders met together in the palace of Caiaphas, the High Priest, 4 and made plans to arrest Jesus secretly and put him to death. 5 “We must not do it during the festival,” they said, “or the people will riot.”
Jesus Is Anointed at Bethany(C)
6 Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon, a man who had suffered from a dreaded skin disease. 7 (D)While Jesus was eating, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar filled with an expensive perfume, which she poured on his head. 8 The disciples saw this and became angry. “Why all this waste?” they asked. 9 “This perfume could have been sold for a large amount and the money given to the poor!”
10 Jesus knew what they were saying, and so he said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? It is a fine and beautiful thing that she has done for me. 11 (E)You will always have poor people with you, but you will not always have me. 12 What she did was to pour this perfume on my body to get me ready for burial. 13 Now, I assure you that wherever this gospel is preached all over the world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus(F)
14 Then one of the twelve disciples—the one named Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15 (G)and asked, “What will you give me if I betray Jesus to you?” They counted out thirty silver coins and gave them to him. 16 From then on Judas was looking for a good chance to hand Jesus over to them.
Jesus Eats the Passover Meal with His Disciples(H)
17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, “Where do you want us to get the Passover meal ready for you?”
18 “Go to a certain man in the city,” he said to them, “and tell him: ‘The Teacher says, My hour has come; my disciples and I will celebrate the Passover at your house.’”
19 The disciples did as Jesus had told them and prepared the Passover meal.
20 When it was evening, Jesus and the twelve disciples sat down to eat. 21 During the meal Jesus said, “I tell you, one of you will betray me.”
22 The disciples were very upset and began to ask him, one after the other, “Surely, Lord, you don't mean me?”
23 (I)Jesus answered, “One who dips his bread in the dish with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will die as the Scriptures say he will, but how terrible for that man who will betray the Son of Man! It would have been better for that man if he had never been born!”
25 Judas, the traitor, spoke up. “Surely, Teacher, you don't mean me?” he asked.
Jesus answered, “So you say.”
The Lord's Supper(J)
26 While they were eating, Jesus took a piece of bread, gave a prayer of thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples. “Take and eat it,” he said; “this is my body.”
27 Then he took a cup, gave thanks to God, and gave it to them. “Drink it, all of you,” he said; 28 (K)“this is my blood, which seals God's covenant, my blood poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will never again drink this wine until the day I drink the new wine with you in my Father's Kingdom.”
30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial(L)
31 (M)Then Jesus said to them, “This very night all of you will run away and leave me, for the scripture says, ‘God will kill the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 (N)But after I am raised to life, I will go to Galilee ahead of you.”
33 Peter spoke up and said to Jesus, “I will never leave you, even though all the rest do!”
34 Jesus said to Peter, “I tell you that before the rooster crows tonight, you will say three times that you do not know me.”
35 Peter answered, “I will never say that, even if I have to die with you!”
And all the other disciples said the same thing.
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane(O)
36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee. Grief and anguish came over him, 38 and he said to them, “The sorrow in my heart is so great that it almost crushes me. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39 He went a little farther on, threw himself face downward on the ground, and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, take this cup of suffering from me! Yet not what I want, but what you want.”
40 Then he returned to the three disciples and found them asleep; and he said to Peter, “How is it that you three were not able to keep watch with me for even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 Once more Jesus went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cup of suffering cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 He returned once more and found the disciples asleep; they could not keep their eyes open.
44 Again Jesus left them, went away, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then he returned to the disciples and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look! The hour has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to the power of sinners. 46 Get up, let us go. Look, here is the man who is betraying me!”
The Arrest of Jesus(P)
47 Jesus was still speaking when Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs and sent by the chief priests and the elders. 48 The traitor had given the crowd a signal: “The man I kiss is the one you want. Arrest him!”
49 Judas went straight to Jesus and said, “Peace be with you, Teacher,” and kissed him.
50 Jesus answered, “Be quick about it, friend!”[a]
Then they came up, arrested Jesus, and held him tight. 51 One of those who were with Jesus drew his sword and struck at the High Priest's slave, cutting off his ear. 52 “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “All who take the sword will die by the sword. 53 Don't you know that I could call on my Father for help, and at once he would send me more than twelve armies of angels? 54 But in that case, how could the Scriptures come true which say that this is what must happen?”
55 (Q)Then Jesus spoke to the crowd, “Did you have to come with swords and clubs to capture me, as though I were an outlaw? Every day I sat down and taught in the Temple, and you did not arrest me. 56 But all this has happened in order to make come true what the prophets wrote in the Scriptures.”
Then all the disciples left him and ran away.
Jesus before the Council(R)
57 Those who had arrested Jesus took him to the house of Caiaphas, the High Priest, where the teachers of the Law and the elders had gathered together. 58 Peter followed from a distance, as far as the courtyard of the High Priest's house. He went into the courtyard and sat down with the guards to see how it would all come out. 59 The chief priests and the whole Council tried to find some false evidence against Jesus to put him to death; 60 but they could not find any, even though many people came forward and told lies about him. Finally two men stepped up 61 (S)and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to tear down God's Temple and three days later build it back up.’”
62 The High Priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Have you no answer to give to this accusation against you?” 63 But Jesus kept quiet. Again the High Priest spoke to him, “In the name of the living God I now put you under oath: tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
64 (T)Jesus answered him, “So you say. But I tell all of you: from this time on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right side of the Almighty and coming on the clouds of heaven!”
65 (U)At this the High Priest tore his clothes and said, “Blasphemy! We don't need any more witnesses! You have just heard his blasphemy! 66 What do you think?”
They answered, “He is guilty and must die.”
67 (V)Then they spat in his face and beat him; and those who slapped him 68 said, “Prophesy for us, Messiah! Guess who hit you!”
Peter Denies Jesus(W)
69 Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard when one of the High Priest's servant women came to him and said, “You, too, were with Jesus of Galilee.”
70 But he denied it in front of them all. “I don't know what you are talking about,” he answered, 71 and went on out to the entrance of the courtyard. Another servant woman saw him and said to the men there, “He was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72 Again Peter denied it and answered, “I swear that I don't know that man!”
73 After a little while the men standing there came to Peter. “Of course you are one of them,” they said. “After all, the way you speak gives you away!”
74 Then Peter said, “I swear that I am telling the truth! May God punish me if I am not! I do not know that man!”
Just then a rooster crowed, 75 and Peter remembered what Jesus had told him: “Before the rooster crows, you will say three times that you do not know me.” He went out and wept bitterly.
Footnotes
- Matthew 26:50 Be quick about it, friend!; or Why are you here, friend?
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
