Old/New Testament
27 “Every one of you will lose your faith in me,” Jesus told them, “As the scripture says: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered’.
28 Yet after I have risen, I shall go before you into Galilee!”
Peter’s bold word—and Jesus’ reply
29 Then Peter said to him, “Even if everyone should lose faith, I never will.”
30 “Believe me, Peter,” returned Jesus, “this very night before the cock crows twice, you will disown me three times.”
31 But Peter protested violently, “Even if it means dying with you, I will never disown you!” And they all made the same protest.
The last desperate prayer in Gethsemane
32 Then they arrived at a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to the disciples, “Sit down here while I pray.”
33 He took with him Peter, James and John, and began to be horror-stricken and desperately depressed.
34 “My heart is nearly breaking,” he told them. “Stay here and keep watch for me.”
35 Then he walked forward a little way and flung himself on the ground, praying that, if it were possible, he might not have to face the ordeal.
36 “Dear Father,” he said, “all things are possible to you. Please—let me not have to drink this cup! Yet it is not what I want but what you want.”
37-38 Then he came and found them fast asleep. He spoke to Peter, “Are you asleep, Simon? Couldn’t you manage to watch for a single hour? Watch and pray, all of you, that you may not have to face temptation. Your spirit is willing, but human nature is weak.”
39-42 Then he went away again and prayed in the same words, and once more he came and found them asleep. they could not keep their eyes open and they did not know what to say for themselves. When he came back for the third time, he said “Are you still going to sleep and take your ease? All right—the moment has come: now you are going to see the Son of Man betrayed into the hands of evil men! Get up, let us be going! Look, here comes my betrayer!”
Judas betrays Jesus
43-49 And indeed, while the words were still on his lips, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived with a mob armed with swords and staves, sent by the chief priests and scribes and elders. The betrayer had given them a sign; he had said, “The one I kiss will be the man. Get hold of him and you can take him away without any trouble.” So he walked straight up to Jesus, cried, “Master!” and kissed him affectionately. And so they got hold of him and held him. Somebody present drew his sword and struck at the High Priest’s servant, slashing off his ear. Then Jesus spoke to them “So you’ve come out with your swords and staves to capture me like a bandit, have you? Day after day I was with you in the Temple, teaching, and you never laid a finger on me. But the scriptures must be fulfilled.”
50-52 Then all the disciples deserted him and made their escape. There happened to be a young man among Jesus’ followers who wore nothing but a linen shirt. They seized him, but he left the shirt in their hands and took to his heels stark naked.
Jesus before the High priest
53-58 So they marched Jesus away to the High Priest in whose presence all the chief priests and elders and scribes had assembled. (Peter followed him at a safe distance, right up to the High Priest’s courtyard. There he sat in the firelight with the servants, keeping himself warm.) Meanwhile, the chief priests and the whole council were trying to find some evidence against Jesus which would warrant the death penalty. But they failed completely. There were plenty of people ready to give false testimony against him, but their evidence was contradictory. Then some more perjurers stood up and said, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this Temple that was built by human hands and in three days I will build another made without human aid.’”
The New Testament in Modern English by J.B Phillips copyright © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Administered by The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. Used by Permission.