Mark 14

Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days off, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him.

“But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

Some of those present were annoyed. “Why this waste of perfume?

It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor.” And they laid into her.

“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you giving her a hard time? She's done a beautiful thing to me.

The poor you'll always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you won't always have me.

She's done what she could. She's poured perfume on my body ahead of time, to prepare it for burial.

I'm telling you straight, wherever the good news is preached in the whole world, what she's done will be told, in memory of her.”

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to hand him over to them.

They were delighted to hear it, and promised to give him money. So he watched for a chance to hand him over.

On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and get the Passover ready for you?”

So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him.

Say to the owner of the house he goes into, ‘The Teacher asks: where's my guest room, where I can eat the Passover with my disciples?’

He'll show you a large upstairs room, furnished and ready. Get things ready for us there.”

The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they got the Passover ready.

When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve.

While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “I'm telling you straight, one of you will hand me over — one who's eating with me.”

They were upset, and one by one they said to him, “Surely not me?”

“It's one of the Twelve,” he said, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me.

The Son of Man will go just as it's written about him. But woe to the man who hands the Son of Man over. It'd be better for him if he'd never been born.”

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them. “Take it,” he said. “This is my body.”

Then he took a cup, and when he'd given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

“This is my blood of the covenant,” he said, “poured out for many.

I'm telling you straight, I won't drink again from the fruit of the vine until the day I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

And when they'd sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

“You'll all fall away,” Jesus told them, “because it's written: ‘I'll strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’

But after I've risen, I'll go on ahead of you into Galilee.”

Peter said, “Even if all of them fall away, I won't.”

“I'm telling you straight,” Jesus answered, “tonight, before the rooster crows twice, you yourself will disown me three times.”

But Peter said it all the harder: “Even if I have to die with you, I'll never disown you.” And all the others said the same.

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”

He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.

“My soul is crushed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”

Going a little further, he fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass from him.

“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I want, but what you want.”

Then he came back and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn't you keep watch for one hour?

Watch and pray, so you don't fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Once more he went away and prayed the same thing.

When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They didn't know what to say to him.

Coming back the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough. The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is being handed over into the hands of sinners.

Get up. Let's go. Here comes the one who's handing me over.”

Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders.

Now the one handing him over had arranged a signal with them. “The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him and lead him away under guard.”

Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi,” and kissed him.

And they took hold of Jesus and arrested him.

Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

“Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you've come out with swords and clubs to capture me?

Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you didn't arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”

Then everyone deserted him and ran.

A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they grabbed him,

he left the garment behind and ran off naked.

They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came together.

Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.

The chief priests and the whole council were looking for evidence against Jesus so they could put him to death, but they didn't find any.

Many gave false testimony against him, but their statements didn't agree.

Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him:

“We heard him say, ‘I'll destroy this temple made with human hands, and in three days I'll build another, not made with hands.’”

Yet even then their testimony didn't agree.

Then the high priest stood up in front of them and asked Jesus, “Aren't you going to answer? What is this testimony these men are bringing against you?”

But Jesus stayed silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

“I am,” said Jesus. “And you'll see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked.

“You've heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as worthy of death.

Then some began to spit at him. They blindfolded him, hit him with their fists and said, “Prophesy.” And the guards took him and beat him.

While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by.

When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. “You were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said.

But he denied it. “I don't know what you're talking about,” he said, and he went out into the entryway.

When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing round, “This bloke is one of them.”

Again he denied it. After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you're one of them. You're a Galilean.”

He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don't know this man you're talking about.”

Straight away the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him: “Before the rooster crows twice you'll disown me three times.” And he broke down and wept.