Readings for Lent and Easter

³⁹ Then Jesus went out of the room and went to the hill called the Mount of Olives where he often went. His disciples went with him.

⁴⁰ He said to them, `Talk with God so that you will not do wrong.'

⁴¹ He went away from them about as far as a person can throw a stone. Then he kneeled down to talk with God.

⁴² He said, `Father, if you will, take this cup away from me. But do not do what I want but what you want.'

⁴³ Then an angel came to him from heaven and helped to make him strong.

⁴⁴ His heart was troubled very much. So he talked with God more than before. His sweat was like big drops of blood falling on the ground.

⁴⁵ He stopped talking with God and got up. He went to his disciples and found them sleeping because they were sad.

⁴⁶ He said to them, `Why are you sleeping? Get up. Talk with God so that you will not do wrong.'

⁴⁷ As Jesus was saying this, many men came. One of the twelve disciples, named Judas, was leading the people. He came near Jesus to kiss him.

⁴⁸ Jesus said to him, `Judas, will you give over the Son of Man to his enemies with a kiss?'

⁴⁹ The disciples around Jesus saw what was going to happen. They said, `Lord, shall we fight with our swords?'

⁵⁰ One of them hit the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.

⁵¹ Jesus said, `Just let me do this.' And he touched the man's ear and healed him.

⁵² The chief priests, the captains of the temple, and the leaders of the people had come to catch Jesus. He said to them, `Have you come to take me with swords and sticks, the way you catch a man who steals?

⁵³ I was with you every day in the temple. You did not try to catch me then. But this is your time now, the time of the power of darkness.'

⁵⁴ The men caught Jesus and took him away to the high priest's house. Peter followed them far behind.

⁵⁵ They made a fire in the yard and sat around it. Peter sat down with them.

⁵⁶ A woman saw Peter sitting by the fire. She looked at him and said, `This man was with him also.'

⁵⁷ But Peter said, `Woman, I do not know him.'

⁵⁸ After a while, another person saw him and said, `You are one of them also.' But Peter said, `Man, I am not.'

⁵⁹ About an hour later another person said, `Surely this man was with him. He comes from Galilee.'

⁶⁰ Peter said, `Man, I do not know what you are talking about.' And right then, while he was talking, the cock called.

⁶¹ The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered that the Lord had said to him, `Before the cock calls in the morning, you will say three times that you do not know me.'

⁶² Peter went out and cried very much.