14 It was two days before Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the religious teachers were trying to find a crafty way to arrest Jesus and kill him. 2 “Let us not do it during the festival,” they said to themselves, “so the people will not riot.”
    3 When Jesus was in Bethany at Simon the leper’s house, while he was sitting eating, a woman came in with an alabaster jar of very expensive pure nard perfume. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over Jesus’ head. 4 Some there were annoyed and said, “What sense is there in wasting this perfume? 5 It could have been sold for a year’s wages, which could have been given to the poor.” And they were scolding her. 6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done something good for me. 7 You will always have the poor with you, and you can help them whenever you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could — she anointed my body beforehand for burial.  9 I am telling you the truth: wherever the Gospel[309] is preached anywhere in the world, what she has done will be remembered.”
    10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the chief priests to make arrangements to betray Jesus to them.  11 When they heard the plan they were delighted, and promised to pay him. So Judas began looking for a good time to betray Jesus.
    12 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed,[310] Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” [311]  13 He sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and there you will meet a man carrying a water pot. Follow him,  14 and ask the owner of the house he enters, ‘The teacher asks, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’  15 He himself will show you a large upstairs room, all prepared, and you can get things ready for us there.”  16 The disciples went into the city, and found things just as he had told them. They prepared the Passover meal.
    17 “In the evening Jesus came there with the twelve.  18 While they were sitting eating, Jesus said, “I am telling you the truth: one of you will betray me — one who is eating with me now.” 19 They were saddened and each one asked, “Surely it is not me, is it?” 20 Jesus said, “It is one of the twelve, one of you who is sharing this food with me.  21 The Son of Man will go just as it is written he would. But shame on the man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had never been born.”
    22 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread and after blessing it, he broke it and gave it to them. “Take it. This is my body,” he said. 23 Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them. They all drank from it. 24 “He said, “This is my blood of the covenant.[312] It is being poured out[313] on behalf of many. 25 I am telling you the truth: I will not drink the fruit of the vine[314] until that day when I drink it new in the Kingdom of God.” [315] 26 After singing a hymn, they left for the Mount of Olives.
    27 “You will all abandon me,” Jesus said to them, “because it is written, ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”  29 But Peter said, “Even if everyone else abandons you, I will not.” 30 Jesus said to him, “I am telling you the truth: this very night you will deny me three times before a rooster crows twice.” 31 But Peter insisted, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And they all said the same thing.
    32 They came to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took with him Peter, James, and John, and began to be terribly disturbed and distressed. 34 Jesus said, “I am crushed with grief to the point of death. Remain here and keep awake.”  35 He went a little further before falling to the ground. He was praying that if it were possible he might be spared what was coming. 36 “Abba, Father, everything is possible for You. Please take this cup of suffering from me,” he said. “But I will do Your will, not mine.” 37 Jesus returned to find them sleeping. “Simon, are you asleep?” he asked Peter. “Could you not stay awake for one hour? 38 Stay awake, and pray that you will not give in to temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 He left again and prayed using the same words.  40 Then he returned once more and found them asleep; they could not stay awake. They did not know what to say to him. 41 The third time he returned and said to them, “Are you still asleep, still resting? Enough now, because the time has come. Look around you — the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of sinful people. 42 Get up, and let us go. Look, my betrayer is approaching.”
    43 Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived with a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests, religious teachers, and elders. 44 The betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “He is the one whom I kiss. Seize him, and lead him away under guard.” 45 So Judas came to Jesus immediately. “Rabbi,” he said, and kissed Jesus. 46 They laid their hands on Jesus and arrested him. 47 But someone standing nearby pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his ear. 48 “Have you come to arrest me as you would some violent criminal, with swords and clubs?” Jesus asked them. 49 “Every day I was with you, teaching in the Temple, and you did not arrest me then. But this is happening to fulfill the Scriptures.” 50 Then all his disciples abandoned Jesus and ran away.
    51 One young man was following Jesus, wearing only a linen cloth. They seized him, 52 but he ran off naked, leaving the cloth behind.
    53 They took Jesus away to the high priest’s house, and all the chief priests, elders, and religious teachers gathered there. 54 Peter followed at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest’s house. He was sitting with the guards, warming himself by the fire. 55 The chief priests and the whole council were trying to find some evidence to put Jesus to death, but they were not finding any. 56 Many were giving false testimony against him, but their testimonies did not agree. 57 Some stood up to speak falsely against Jesus: 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this Temple which human hands built, and in three days I will build another without hands.’” 59 But even then their testimony did not agree. 60 The high priest stood up in the council and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to say anything in reply to these charges made against you?” 61 But Jesus remained silent and gave no reply. So the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” 62 Jesus replied, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand[316] of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 The high priest tore his clothes and asked, “Why do we need any more witnesses? 64 You heard the blasphemy. What is your opinion?” They all condemned him as guilty and deserving to die. 65 Some started to spit at him, and they blindfolded him, beat him with their fists and said, “Prophesy!” The officers took him and beat him.
    66 Meanwhile Peter was down in the courtyard. One of the high priest’s servant girls came by, 67 and seeing Peter warming himself, looked straight at him. “You were with Jesus of Nazareth too!” she said. 68 But Peter denied it. “I do not know what you are talking about. I do not understand it,” he said. Then he went out to the porch. 69 The servant girl saw him there, and repeated to those standing nearby, “He is one of them!” 70 Again Peter denied it. A little later they said to Peter again, “You really are one of them because you are a Galilean too.” 71 Peter started to curse and swear, “I do not know this man you are talking about!” 72 Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him: “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.