Matthew 26

¹Matthew 26:1. When Jesus had finished saying all these things, He told His disciples,²Matthew 26:2. “You know that the Passover is two days away, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”³Matthew 26:3. At that time the chief priests and elders of the people assembled in the courtyard of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,⁴Matthew 26:4. and they conspired to arrest Jesus covertly and kill Him.⁵Matthew 26:5. “But not during the feast,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”

⁶Matthew 26:6. While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper,⁷Matthew 26:7. a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, which she poured on His head as He reclined at the table.⁸Matthew 26:8. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant and asked, “Why this waste?⁹Matthew 26:9. This perfume could have been sold at a high price, and the money given to the poor.”¹⁰Matthew 26:10. Aware of this, Jesus asked, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful deed to Me.¹¹Matthew 26:11. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me.¹²Matthew 26:12. By pouring this perfume on Me, she has prepared My body for burial.¹³Matthew 26:13. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”¹⁴Matthew 26:14. Then one of the Twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests¹⁵Matthew 26:15. and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver.¹⁶Matthew 26:16. So from then on Judas looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

¹⁷Matthew 26:17. On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”¹⁸Matthew 26:18. He answered, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him that the Teacher says, ‘My time is near. I will keep the Passover with My disciples at your house.’”¹⁹Matthew 26:19. So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.²⁰Matthew 26:20. When evening came, Jesus was reclining with the twelve disciples.²¹Matthew 26:21. And while they were eating, He said to them, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray Me.”²²Matthew 26:22. They were deeply grieved and began to ask Him one after another, “Surely not I, Lord?”²³Matthew 26:23. Jesus answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with Me will betray Me.²⁴Matthew 26:24. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed. It would be better for him if he had not been born.”²⁵Matthew 26:25. Then Judas, who would betray Him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “You have said it yourself.”

²⁶Matthew 26:26. While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body.”²⁷Matthew 26:27. Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.²⁸Matthew 26:28. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.²⁹Matthew 26:29. I tell you, I will not 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.”³⁰Matthew 26:30. And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

³¹Matthew 26:31. Then Jesus said to them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of Me. For it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’³²Matthew 26:32. But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”³³Matthew 26:33. Peter said to Him, “Even if all fall away on account of You, I never will.”³⁴Matthew 26:34. “Truly I tell you,” Jesus declared, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”³⁵Matthew 26:35. Peter replied, “Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You.” And all the other disciples said the same thing.

³⁶Matthew 26:36. Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He told them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”³⁷Matthew 26:37. He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.³⁸Matthew 26:38. Then He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.”³⁹Matthew 26:39. Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”⁴⁰Matthew 26:40. Then Jesus returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. “Were you not able to keep watch with Me for one hour?” He asked Peter.⁴¹Matthew 26:41. “Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”⁴²Matthew 26:42. A second time He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, may Your will be done.”⁴³Matthew 26:43. And again Jesus returned and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.⁴⁴Matthew 26:44. So He left them and went away once more and prayed a third time, saying the same thing.⁴⁵Matthew 26:45. Then He returned to the disciples and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.⁴⁶Matthew 26:46. Rise, let us go! See, My betrayer is approaching!”

⁴⁷Matthew 26:47. While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, accompanied by a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and elders of the people.⁴⁸Matthew 26:48. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The One I kiss is the man; arrest Him.”⁴⁹Matthew 26:49. Going directly to Jesus, he said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.⁵⁰Matthew 26:50. “Friend,” Jesus replied, “do what you came for.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus, and arrested Him.⁵¹Matthew 26:51. At this, one of Jesus’ companions drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.⁵²Matthew 26:52. “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.⁵³Matthew 26:53. Are you not aware that I can call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?⁵⁴Matthew 26:54. But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?”⁵⁵Matthew 26:55. At that time Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would an outlaw? Every day I sat teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest Me.⁵⁶Matthew 26:56. But this has all happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled.

⁵⁷Matthew 26:57. Those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and elders had gathered.⁵⁸Matthew 26:58. But Peter followed Him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. And he went in and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.⁵⁹Matthew 26:59. Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking false testimony against Jesus in order to put Him to death.⁶⁰Matthew 26:60. But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward⁶¹Matthew 26:61. and declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”⁶²Matthew 26:62. So the high priest stood up and asked Him, “Have You no answer? What are these men testifying against You?”⁶³Matthew 26:63. But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to Him, “I charge You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.”⁶⁴Matthew 26:64. “You have said it yourself,” Jesus answered. “But I say to all of you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”⁶⁵Matthew 26:65. At this, the high priest tore his clothes and declared, “He has blasphemed! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.⁶⁶Matthew 26:66. What do you think?” “He deserves to die,” they answered.⁶⁷Matthew 26:67. Then they spit in His face and struck Him. Others slapped Him⁶⁸Matthew 26:68. and said, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who hit You?”

⁶⁹Matthew 26:69. Meanwhile, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came up to him. “You also were with Jesus the Galilean,” she said.⁷⁰Matthew 26:70. But he denied it before them all: “I do not know what you are talking about.”⁷¹Matthew 26:71. When Peter had gone out to the gateway, another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”⁷²Matthew 26:72. And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man!”⁷³Matthew 26:73. After a little while, those standing nearby came up to Peter. “Surely you are one of them,” they said, “for your accent gives you away.”⁷⁴Matthew 26:74. At that he began to curse and swear to them, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.⁷⁵Matthew 26:75. Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.