Mark 14

₁It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Thin Bread. The chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses were secretly planning to have Jesus arrested and put to death. ₂They were saying, “We must not do it during the festival, because the people will riot.”

₃Jesus was eating in Bethany at the home of Simon, who once had leprosy, when a woman came in with a very expensive bottle of sweet-smelling perfume. After breaking it open, she poured the perfume on Jesus' head. ₄This made some of the guests angry, and they complained, “Why such a waste? ₅We could have sold this perfume for more than three hundred silver coins and given the money to the poor!” So they started saying cruel things to the woman.

₆But Jesus said:

₁₀Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve disciples. He went to the chief priests and offered to help them arrest Jesus. ₁₁They were glad to hear this, and they promised to pay him. So Judas started looking for a good chance to betray Jesus.

₁₂It was the first day of the Festival of Thin Bread, and the Passover lambs were being killed. Jesus' disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal?”

₁₃Jesus said to two of the disciples, “Go into the city, where you will meet a man carrying a jar of water. Follow him, ₁₄and when he goes into a house, say to the owner, ‘Our teacher wants to know if you have a room where he can eat the Passover meal with his disciples.’ ₁₅The owner will take you upstairs and show you a large room furnished and ready for you to use. Prepare the meal there.”

₁₆The two disciples went into the city and found everything just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover meal.

_17-18While Jesus and the twelve disciples were eating together that evening, he said, “The one who will betray me is now eating with me.”

₁₉This made the disciples sad, and one after another they said to Jesus, “Surely you don't mean me!”

₂₀He answered, “It is one of you twelve men who is eating from this dish with me. ₂₁The Son of Man will die, just as the Scriptures say. But it is going to be terrible for the one who betrays me. That man would be better off if he had never been born.”

₂₂During the meal Jesus took some bread in his hands. He blessed the bread and broke it. Then he gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this. It is my body.”

₂₃Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He gave it to his disciples, and said, “Drink it!” So they all drank some. ₂₄Then he said, “This is my blood, which is poured out for many people, and with it God makes his agreement. ₂₅From now on I will not drink any wine, until I drink new wine in God's kingdom.” ₂₆Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

₂₇Jesus said to his disciples, “All of you will reject me, as the Scriptures say,

₂₉Peter spoke up, “Even if all the others reject you, I never will!”

₃₀Jesus replied, “This very night before a cock crows twice, you will say three times that you don't know me.”

₃₁But Peter was so sure of himself that he said, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never say that I don't know you!”

All the others said the same thing.

₃₂Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he told them, “Sit here while I pray.”

₃₃Jesus took along Peter, James, and John. He was sad and troubled and ₃₄told them, “I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with me.”

_35-36Jesus walked on a little way. Then he knelt down on the ground and prayed, “Father, if it is possible, don't let this happen to me! Father, you can do anything. Don't make me suffer by making me drink from this cup. But do what you want, and not what I want.”

₃₇When Jesus came back and found the disciples sleeping, he said to Simon Peter, “Are you asleep? Can't you stay awake for just one hour? ₃₈Stay awake and pray that you won't be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak.”

₃₉Jesus went back and prayed the same prayer. ₄₀But when he returned to the disciples, he found them sleeping again. They simply could not keep their eyes open, and they did not know what to say.

₄₁When Jesus returned to the disciples the third time, he said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough of that! The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners. ₄₂Get up! Let's go. The one who will betray me is already here.”

₄₃Jesus was still speaking, when Judas the betrayer came up. He was one of the twelve disciples, and a mob of men armed with swords and clubs were with him. They had been sent by the chief priests, the nation's leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses. ₄₄Judas had told them beforehand, “Arrest the man I greet with a kiss. Tie him up tight and lead him away.”

₄₅Judas walked right up to Jesus and said, “Teacher!” Then Judas kissed him, ₄₆and the men grabbed Jesus and arrested him.

₄₇Someone standing there pulled out a sword. He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.

₄₈Jesus said to the mob, “Why do you come with swords and clubs to arrest me like a criminal? ₄₉Day after day I was with you and taught in the temple, and you didn't arrest me. But what the Scriptures say must come true.”

₅₀All Jesus' disciples ran off and left him. ₅₁One of them was a young man who was wearing only a linen cloth. And when the men grabbed him, ₅₂he left the cloth behind and ran away naked.

₅₃Jesus was led off to the high priest. Then the chief priests, the nation's leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses all met together. ₅₄Peter had followed at a distance. And when he reached the courtyard of the high priest's house, he sat down with the guards to warm himself beside a fire.

₅₅The chief priests and the whole council tried to find someone to accuse Jesus of a crime, so they could put him to death. But they could not find anyone to accuse him. ₅₆Many people did tell lies against Jesus, but they did not agree on what they said. ₅₇Finally, some men stood up and lied about him. They said, ₅₈“We heard him say he would tear down this temple that we built. He also claimed that in three days he would build another one without any help.” ₅₉But even then they did not agree on what they said.

₆₀The high priest stood up in the council and asked Jesus, “Why don't you say something in your own defence? Don't you hear the charges they are making against you?” ₆₁But Jesus kept quiet and did not say a word. The high priest asked him another question, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the glorious God?”

₆₂“Yes, I am!” Jesus answered.

₆₃At once the high priest ripped his robe apart and shouted, “Why do we need more witnesses? ₆₄You heard him claim to be God! What is your decision?” They all agreed that he should be put to death.

₆₅Some of the people started spitting on Jesus. They blindfolded him, hit him with their fists, and said, “Tell us who hit you!” Then the guards took charge of Jesus and beat him.

₆₆While Peter was still in the courtyard, a servant girl of the high priest came up ₆₇and saw Peter warming himself by the fire. She stared at him and said, “You were with Jesus from Nazareth!”

₆₈Peter replied, “That isn't true! I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have any idea what you mean.” He went out to the gate, and a cock crowed.

₆₉The servant girl saw Peter again and said to the people standing there, “This man is one of them!”

₇₀“No, I'm not!” Peter replied.

A little while later some of the people said to Peter, “You certainly are one of them. You're a Galilean!”

₇₁This time Peter began to curse and swear, “I don't even know the man you're talking about!”

₇₂Straight away the cock crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had told him, “Before a cock crows twice, you will say three times that you don't know me.” So Peter started crying.