Matthew 26-28

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.

Judah’s Remorse

27 When daybreak came, the ruling kohanim and elders of the people conspired against Yeshua to put Him to death. ² And they tied Him up, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate, the governor. ³ Then Judah, His betrayer, saw that Yeshua had been condemned. Feeling remorse, he brought the thirty silver pieces back to the ruling kohanim and elders, ⁴ saying, “I’ve sinned, betraying innocent blood!”

But they said, “What’s that to us? You see to it yourself!” ⁵ After tossing the silver into the Temple sanctuary, he left. Then he went off and hanged himself. ⁶ But the ruling kohanim took the silver pieces and said, “It is not permitted to put these in the treasury, since it is blood money.” ⁷ So after they conferred, they bought with them the potter’s field, as a cemetery for strangers. ⁸ For this reason that field has been called the “Field of Blood” to this day. ⁹ Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “And they took the thirty silver pieces, the price of Him on whom a price had been set by Bnei-Yisrael; ¹⁰ and they gave them for the potter’s field, just as Adonai arranged for me.”^[t]

“Kill the King!”

¹¹ Now Yeshua stood before the governor. The governor questioned Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

“You say so,” Yeshua said. ¹² And while He was accused by the ruling kohanim and elders, He did not answer.

¹³ Then Pilate said to Him, “Don’t You hear how many things they testify against you?” ¹⁴ Yeshua did not answer, not even one word, so the governor was greatly amazed.

¹⁵ Now during the feast, the governor was accustomed to release to the crowd one prisoner, anyone they wanted. ¹⁶ At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Yeshua Bar-Abba. ¹⁷ So when they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Which one do you want me to release for you? Yeshua who is Bar-Abba, or Yeshua who is called Messiah?” ^{[u] 18} For he knew that they had handed Him over out of envy.

¹⁹ While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “Don’t have anything to do with that righteous Man, for today I’ve suffered many things in a dream because of Him.”

²⁰ Now the ruling kohanim and elders persuaded the crowds that they should ask for Bar-Abba and destroy Yeshua. ²¹ But the governor responded, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?”

And they said, “Bar-Abba!”

²² Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Yeshua, who is called Messiah?”

“Execute Him!” all of them say.

²³ But Pilate said, “Why? What evil has He done?”

But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Let Him be executed!”

²⁴ When Pilate saw he was accomplishing nothing, but instead a riot was starting, he took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this blood,”^[v] he said. “You see to it yourselves!”

²⁵ All the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children!”^[w]

²⁶ Then he released to them Bar-Abba. And after he had Yeshua scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

Nailed to a Stake

²⁷ Then the governor’s soldiers took Yeshua into the Praetorium and gathered the whole cohort around Him. ²⁸ They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe around Him. ²⁹ And after braiding a crown of thorns, they placed it on His head and put a staff in His right hand. And falling on their knees before Him, they mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ³⁰ They spat on Him, and they took the staff and beat Him over and over on the head. ³¹ When they finished mocking Him, they stripped the robe off Him and put His own clothes back on Him. And they led Him away to crucify Him.

³² As they came out, they found a man from Cyrene, Simon by name. They forced him into service, to carry Yeshua’s cross-beam. ^{[x] 33} And when they came to a place called Golgotha (that is to say, Place of a Skull), ³⁴ they offered Him wine mixed with gall to drink;^[y] but after tasting, He was unwilling to drink it. ³⁵ And when they had crucified Him, they divided His clothing among themselves by casting lots. ^{[z] 36} And they sat down and kept guard over Him there. ³⁷ Over His head they put the charge against Him, which read: “THIS IS YESHUA, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

³⁸ Then two outlaws were executed with Him, one on the right and one on the left. ³⁹ Those passing by were jeering at Him,^[aa] shaking their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, “You who are going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If you are Ben-Elohim, come down from the stake!”

⁴¹ Likewise the ruling kohanim, along with the Torah scholars and elders, were also mocking Him. ⁴² “He saved others,” they were saying, “but He can’t save Himself? He’s the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the stake, and we’ll believe in Him! ⁴³ He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now, if He wants Him.^[ab] For He said, ‘I am Ben-Elohim.’” ⁴⁴ Even the outlaws who were executed with Him were ridiculing Him in the same way.^[ac]

Yeshua Lays Down His Life

⁴⁵ Now from the sixth hour, darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. ^{[ad] 46} About the ninth hour Yeshua cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”^[ae] that is, “My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?”

⁴⁷ When some of those standing there heard it, they began saying, “This Man is calling for Elijah.” ⁴⁸ Right away one of them ran and took a sponge. He filled it with sour wine and put it on a stick, and was offering it to Yeshua to drink. ^{[af] 49} But the rest were saying, “Leave Him alone! Let’s see if Elijah comes to save Him.” ⁵⁰ And Yeshua cried out again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit.

⁵¹ And behold, the curtain^[ag] of the Temple was split in two, from top to bottom. And the earth quaked and rocks were split apart. ⁵² And the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the kedoshim who were sleeping were raised to life. ⁵³ And coming forth out of the tombs after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

⁵⁴ Now the centurion, and those with him keeping guard over Yeshua, when they saw the earthquake and what was happening, they became terribly frightened and said, “This really was the Son of God!”

The Tomb Is Sealed

⁵⁵ Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Yeshua from the Galilee, serving Him. ⁵⁶ Among them were Miriam from Magdala, Miriam the mother of Jacob and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

⁵⁷ Now when it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had also become a disciple of Yeshua. ⁵⁸ This man went to Pilate and asked for Yeshua’s body. Then Pilate ordered it to be given up. ⁵⁹ And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. ⁶⁰ And he laid it in his own new tomb,^[ah] which he had cut in the rock. Then he rolled a large stone up to the door of the tomb and went away. ⁶¹ Now Miriam from Magdala was there, and the other Miriam, sitting opposite the tomb.

Guarding the Tomb

⁶² Now on the next day, which is after the preparation, the ruling kohanim and Pharisees were gathered before Pilate. ⁶³ “Sir,” they said, “we remember how that deceiver said while He was still alive, ‘After three days I’m to be raised.’ ⁶⁴ Therefore, order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, so His disciples do not come and steal Him away. They will tell the people, ‘He is risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first!”

⁶⁵ “You have a guard,” Pilate said to them. “Go, make it as secure as you know how.” ⁶⁶ So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone along with the soldiers of the guard.

The Son Is Risen!

28 Now after Shabbat, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Miriam of Magdala and the other Miriam came to look at the tomb. ² And suddenly there was a great earthquake, for an angel of Adonai descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning,^[ai] and his clothing as white as snow. ⁴ And those keeping watch were shaken for fear of him and became like dead men.

⁵ But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know you are looking for Yeshua who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; for He is risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He^[aj] was lying. ⁷ Go quickly now and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead. And behold, He’s going before you to the Galilee. There you will see Him. See, I have told you!” ⁸ They quickly left the tomb, with fear yet with great joy, and ran to bring news to His disciples.

The Good News Cannot Be Hidden

⁹ And behold, Yeshua met them. “Shalom!” He said. They drew near, grasped his feet, and worshiped Him. ¹⁰ “Don’t be afraid,” Yeshua said to them. “Go tell My brothers to head for the Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

¹¹ Now while they were going, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the ruling kohanim all that had happened. ¹² And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of silver to the soldiers, ¹³ saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we were sleeping.’ ¹⁴ And if this is heard by the governor, we’ll appease him and keep you out of trouble.” ¹⁵ So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story was spread among the Judeans to this day.

Authority to Make Disciples Everywhere

¹⁶ Now the eleven disciples went to the Galilee, to the mountain Yeshua had designated. ¹⁷ When they saw Him, they worshiped; but some wavered. ¹⁸ And Yeshua came up to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. ^{[ak] 19} Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, immersing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Ruach ha-Kodesh, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all I have commanded you. And remember! I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”