Matthew 21; Matthew 22; Matthew 23; Matthew 24; Matthew 25; Matthew 26; Matthew 27

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Matthew 21

1 And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,

2 saying to them, "Go into the village before you, and right away you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her. Untie [them] [and] bring [them] to me.

3 And if anyone says anything to you, you will say, 'The Lord {needs them},' and he will send them at once."

4 Now this took place so that what was spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying,

5 "Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your king is coming to you, humble and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a pack animal.'"

6 So the disciples went and did just as Jesus directed them,

7 [and] brought the donkey and the colt and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them.

8 And a very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading [them] on the road.

9 And the crowds who went ahead of him and the ones who followed were shouting, saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed [is] the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest [heaven]!"

10 And [when] he entered into Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, "Who is this?"

11 And the crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee!"

12 And Jesus entered the temple [courts] and drove out all those who were selling and buying in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those who were selling doves.

13 And he said to them, "It is written, 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a cave of robbers!"

14 And the blind and the lame came up to him in the temple [courts] and he healed them.

15 But [when] the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful [things] that he did, and the children shouting in the temple [courts] and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant.

16 And they said to him, "Do you hear what these [children] are saying?" So Jesus said to them, "Yes, have you never read, 'Out of the mouths of children and nursing babies you have prepared for yourself praise'?"

17 And leaving them, he went outside of the city to Bethany and spent the night there.

18 Now early in the morning, [as he] was returning to the city, he was hungry.

19 And seeing a single fig tree by the road, he went to it and found nothing on it except leaves only. And he said to it, "May there be no more fruit from you {forever}, and the fig tree withered at once.

20 And [when they] saw [it], the disciples were astonished, saying, "How did the fig tree wither at once?"

21 And Jesus answered [and] said to them, "Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will do not only [what was done to] the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea," it will happen!

22 And whatever you ask in prayer, [if you] believe, you will receive."

23 And [after] he arrived at the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him [while he] was teaching, saying, "By what authority are you doing these [things]? And who gave you this authority?"

24 And Jesus answered [and] said to them, "I also will ask you one question. If you tell [the answer] to me, I also will tell you by what authority I am doing these [things].

25 From where was the baptism of John--from heaven or from men?" And they began to discuss [this] among themselves, saying, "If we say 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'

26 But if we say, 'From men,' we are afraid of the crowd, because they all look upon John as a prophet."

27 And they answered [and] said to Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these [things].

28 "Now what do you think? A man had two sons. [He] approached the first [and] said, 'Son, go work in the vineyard today.'

29 And he answered [and] said, 'I do not want to!' But later [he] changed his mind [and] went.

30 And [he] approached the second [and] said the same [thing]. So he answered [and] said, 'I [will], sir,' and he did not go.

31 Which of the two did the will of [his] father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going ahead of you into the kingdom of God!

32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did believe him. And [when] you saw [it], you did not even change your minds later [so as] to believe in him.

33 "Listen to another parable: There was a man--a master of a house--who planted a vineyard, and put a fence [around] it, and dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower, and leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey.

34 And when the season of fruit drew near, he sent his slaves to the tenant farmers to collect his fruit.

35 And the tenant farmers seized his slaves, [one of] whom they beat, and [one of] whom they killed, and [one of] whom they stoned.

36 Again, he sent other slaves, more than the first [ones], and they did the same [thing] to them.

37 So finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

38 But [when] the tenant farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance!'

39 And they seized him [and] threw [him] out of the vineyard and killed [him].

40 Now when the master of the vineyard arrives, what will he do to those tenant farmers?"

41 They said to him, "He will destroy those evil [men] completely and lease the vineyard to other tenant farmers who will give him the fruits in their season."

42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures, 'The stone which the builders rejected, this has become {the cornerstone}. This came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?

43 For this [reason], I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and will be given to a people who produce its fruits.

44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and [the one] on whom it falls--it will crush him!"

45 And [when] the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them,

46 and [although they] wanted to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds, because they looked upon him as a prophet.

Matthew 22

1 And continuing, Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying,

2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man--a king--who gave a wedding celebration for his son.

3 And he sent his slaves to summon those who had been invited to the wedding celebration, and they did not want to come.

4 Again he sent other slaves, saying, 'Tell those who have been invited, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened [cattle] have been slaughtered, and everything [is] ready. Come to the wedding celebration!" '

5 But they paid no attention [and] went away--this one to his own field, that one to his business.

6 And the others, seizing his slaves, mistreated [them] and killed [them].

7 And the king was angry and sent his troops [and] destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

8 Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding celebration is ready, but those who had been invited were not worthy.

9 Therefore, go out to the [places where] the roads exit the city and invite to the wedding celebration as many [people] as you find.'

10 And those slaves went out into the roads [and] gathered everyone whom they found, both evil and good, and the wedding celebration was filled {with dinner guests}.

11 But [when] the king came in to see the {dinner guests}, he saw a man there not dressed [in] wedding clothes.

12 And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here, not having wedding clothes?' But {he could say nothing}.

13 Then the king said to the servants, 'Tie him up {hand and foot} [and] throw him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!'

14 For many are called but few [are] chosen."

15 Then the Pharisees went {and consulted} so that they could entrap him with a statement.

16 And they sent their disciples to him with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and {you do not care what anyone thinks}, {because you do not regard the opinion of people}.

17 Therefore tell us what you think. Is it permitted to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

18 But [because he] knew their maliciousness, Jesus said, "Hypocrites! Why are you testing me?

19 Show me the coin for the tax!" So they brought him a denarius.

20 And he said to them, "Whose image and inscription [is] this?"

21 They said to him, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Therefore give to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God!"

22 And [when they] heard [this], they were astonished, and they left him [and] went away.

23 On that day Sadducees--who say there is no resurrection--came up to him and asked him,

24 saying, "Teacher, Moses said if someone dies without having children, his brother is to marry his wife and {father} descendants for his brother.

25 Now there were seven brothers with us. And the first died [after] getting married, and [because he] did not have descendants, he left his wife to his brother.

26 So also the second and the third, up to the seventh.

27 And last of all the woman died.

28 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her [as wife]."

29 But Jesus answered [and] said to them, "You are mistaken, [because] you do not know the scriptures or the power of God!

30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.

31 Now concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, who said,

32 "I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob"? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living!"

33 And [when] the crowds heard [this], they were amazed at his teaching.

34 Now [when] the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they assembled at the same [place].

35 And one of them, a legal expert, put a question to [him] to test him:

36 "Teacher, which commandment [is] greatest in the law?"

37 And he said to him, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'

38 This is the greatest and first commandment.

39 And the second [is] like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'

40 On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."

41 Now [while] the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus asked them,

42 saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "David's."

43 He said to them, "How then does David, by the Spirit, call him 'Lord,' saying,

44 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet" '?

45 If then David calls him 'Lord,' how is he his son?"

46 And no one was able to answer him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day [on] to ask him any more [questions].

Matthew 23

1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples,

2 saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on the seat of Moses.

3 Therefore do and observe everything that they tell you, but do not do as {they do}, for they tell [others to do something] and do not do [it themselves].

4 And they tie up heavy burdens and put [them] on people's shoulders, but [they] themselves are not willing with their finger to move them

5 And they do all their deeds in order to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries broad and make their tassels long.

6 And they love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues

7 and the greetings in the marketplaces and to be called 'Rabbi' by people.

8 But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' because one is your teacher, and you are all brothers,

9 And do not call [anyone] your father on earth, for one is your heavenly Father.

10 And do not be called teachers, because one is your teacher, the Christ.

11 And the greatest among you will be your servant.

12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees--hypocrites!--because you shut the kingdom of heaven before people! For you do not enter, nor permit those wanting to go in to enter.

15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees--hypocrites!--because you travel around the sea and the dry [land] to make one convert, and when he becomes [one], you make him twice as much a son of hell [as] you [are]!

16 "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing! But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound [by his oath].'

17 Fools and blind [people]! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold holy?

18 And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing! But whoever swears by the gift [that is] on it is bound [by his oath].'

19 Blind [people]! For which [is] greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy

20 Therefore the one who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything [that is] on it.

21 And the one who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells [in] it

22 And the one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by the one who sits on it.

23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees--hypocrites!--because you pay a tenth of mint and dill and cumin, and neglect the more important [matters] of the law--justice and mercy and faithfulness! It was necessary to do these [things] {while not neglecting those}.

24 Blind guides who filter out a gnat and swallow a camel!

25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees--hypocrites!--because you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence!

26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.

27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees--hypocrites!--because you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean!

28 In the [same] way, on the outside you also appear righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees--hypocrites!--because you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous,

30 and you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in the blood of the prophets!'

31 Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets!

32 And you--fill up the measure of your fathers!

33 Serpents! Offspring of vipers! How will you escape from the condemnation to hell?

34 For this [reason], behold, I am sending to you prophets and wise men and scribes. [Some] of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and will pursue from town to town,

35 so that upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on the earth from the blood of righteous Abel up to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

36 Truly I say to you, all these [things] will come upon this generation!

37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How many times I wanted to gather your children together {the way} a hen gathers her young together under [her] wings, and you were not willing!

38 Behold, your house has been left to you desolate

39 For I tell you, you will never see me from now [on] until you say, 'Blessed [is] the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'"

Matthew 24

1 And [as] Jesus went out of the temple [courts] he was going along, and his disciples came up to point out to him the buildings of the temple.

2 But he answered [and] said to them, "Do you not see all these [things]? Truly I say to you, not [one] stone will be left here on [another] stone that will not be thrown down!"

3 And [as] he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came up to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these [things] happen, and what [will be] the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"

4 And Jesus answered [and] said to them, "Watch out that no one deceives you!

5 For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will deceive many.

6 And you are going to hear about wars and rumors of wars. See to it that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is not yet.

7 For nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in [various] places.

8 But all these [things] [are] the beginning of birth pains.

9 "Then they will hand you over to persecution and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations because of my name.

10 And then many will be led into sin and will betray one another and will hate one another,

11 and many false prophets will appear and will deceive many,

12 and because lawlessness will increase, the love of many will grow cold.

13 But the one who endures to the end--this person will be saved.

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed in the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

15 "So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken about by the prophet Daniel standing in the holy place" (let the one who reads understand),

16 "then those in Judea must flee to the mountains!

17 The one who is on his housetop must not come down to take things out of his house,

18 and the one who is in the field must not turn back to pick up his cloak.

19 And woe to those {who are pregnant} and to those who are nursing [their babies] in those days!

20 But pray that your flight may not happen in winter or on a Sabbath.

21 For at that time there will be great tribulation, such as has not happened from the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will happen.

22 And unless those days had been shortened, {no human being would be saved}. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened.

23 "At that time if anyone should say to you, 'Behold, here [is] the Christ,' or 'Here [he is],' do not believe [him]!

24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear, and will produce great signs and wonders in order to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

25 Behold, I have told you ahead of time!

26 Therefore if they say to you, 'Behold, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out, [or] 'Behold, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe [it]!

27 For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so the coming of the Son of Man will be.

28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

29 "And immediately after the tribulation of those days, 'the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken.'

30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect together from the four winds, from [one] end of heaven to the [other] end of it.

32 "Now learn the parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer [is] near.

33 So also you, when you see all these [things], know that he is near, at the door.

34 Truly I say to you that this generation will never pass away until all these [things] take place!

35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

36 "But concerning that day and hour no one knows--not even the angels of heaven nor the Son--except the Father alone.

37 For just as the days of Noah [were], so the coming of the Son of Man will be.

38 For as in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark.

39 And they did not know [anything] until the deluge came and swept [them] all away. So also the coming of the Son of Man will be.

40 Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one left.

41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.

42 Therefore be on the alert, because you do not know what day your Lord is coming!

43 But understand this: that if the master of the house had known what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.

44 For this [reason] you also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think [he will come].

45 "Who then is the faithful and wise slave whom the master has put in charge of his household slaves to give them their food at the right time?

46 Blessed [is] that slave whom his master will find so doing [when he] comes back.

47 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

48 But if that evil slave should say {to himself}, 'My master is staying away for a long time,'

49 and he begins to beat his fellow slaves and eats and drinks with drunkards,

50 the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and at an hour that he does not know,

51 and will cut him in two and assign his place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!

Matthew 25

1 "Then the kingdom of heaven may be compared to ten virgins who took their lamps [and] went out to meet the bridegroom.

2 Now five of them were foolish and five [were] wise.

3 For [when] the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take olive oil with them.

4 But the wise ones took olive oil in flasks with their lamps.

5 And [when] the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

6 But in the middle of the night there was a shout, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'

7 Then all those virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.

8 And the foolish ones said to the wise ones, 'Give us [some] of your olive oil, because our lamps are going out!'

9 But the wise ones answered saying, "Certainly there will never be enough for us and for you! Go instead to those who sell [olive oil] and buy [some] for yourselves.'

10 But [while] they had gone away to buy [it] the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding celebration, and the door was shut.

11 And later the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open [the door] for us!'

12 But he answered [and] said, 'Truly I say to you, I do not know you!'

13 Therefore be on the alert, because you do not know the day or the hour!

14 For [it is] like a man going on a journey. He summoned his own slaves and handed over his property to them.

15 And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to each one according to his own ability, and he went on a journey immediately.

16 The one who had received the five talents went out [and] traded with them and gained five more.

17 In the same way the one [who had] the two gained two more.

18 But the one who had received the one went away [and] dug up the ground and hid his master's money.

19 Now after a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.

20 And the one who had received the five talents came up [and] brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me five talents. See, I have gained five more talents!'

21 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few [things]; I will put you [in charge] over many [things]. Enter into the joy of your master!'

22 And the one [who had] the two talents also came up [and] said, 'Master, you handed over to me two talents. See, I have gained two talents more!'

23 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few [things]; I will put you [in charge] over many [things]. Enter into the joy of your master!'

24 And the one who had received the one talent came up also [and] said, 'Master, [because I] knew you, that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering from where you did not scatter [seed].

25 And [because I] was afraid, I went away [and] hid your talent in the ground. See, you have [what is] yours!'

26 But his master answered [and] said to him, 'Evil and lazy slave! You knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather from where I did not scatter [seed].

27 Then you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and [when I] returned I would have gotten back [what was] mine with interest!

28 Therefore take the talent from him and give [it] to the one who has the ten talents.

29 For to everyone who has, [more] will be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

30 And throw the worthless slave into the outer darkness--in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!'

31 Now when the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.

32 And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them from one another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

33 And he will place the sheep on his right and the goats on the left.

34 Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, [you] who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world!

35 For I was hungry and you gave me [something] to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me [something] to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me as a guest,

36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you cared for me, I was in prison and you came to me.'

37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed [you], or thirsty and give [you something] to drink?

38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome [you] as a guest, or naked and clothe [you]?

39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?'

40 And the king will answer [and] say to them, 'Truly I say to you, in as much as you did [it] to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did [it] to me.'

41 Then he will also say to those on [his] left, 'Depart from me, [you] accursed ones, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels!

42 For I was hungry and you did not give me [anything] to eat, I was thirsty and you did not give me [anything] to drink,

43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not care for me.'

44 Then they will also answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and not serve you?'

45 Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly I say to you, in as much as you did not do [it] to one of the least of these, you did not do [it] to me.'

46 And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Matthew 26

1 And it happened that when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples,

2 "You know that after two days the Passover takes place, and the Son of Man will be handed over in order to be crucified."

3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas,

4 and plotted in order that they could arrest Jesus by stealth and kill [him].

5 But they were saying, "Not during the feast, so that there will not be an uproar among the people."

6 Now [while] Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,

7 a woman came up to him holding an alabaster flask of very expensive perfumed oil, and poured [it] out on his head [while he] was reclining at table.

8 And [when] the disciples saw [it] they were indignant, saying, "{Why} this waste?

9 For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor!"

10 But Jesus, knowing [this], said to them, "Why do you cause trouble for the woman? For she has done a good deed for me.

11 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.

12 For [when] this woman poured this ointment on my body, she did [it] in order to prepare me for burial.

13 Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her."

14 Then one of the twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests

15 [and] said, "What are you willing to give me if I in turn deliver him to you?" So they set out for him thirty silver coins.

16 And from that time on, he began seeking a favorable opportunity in order that he could betray him.

17 Now on the first [day] of the feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came up to Jesus, saying, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?"

18 And he said, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is near. I am celebrating the Passover with you with my disciples." '

19 And the disciples did as Jesus directed them, and they prepared the Passover.

20 And [when it] was evening, he was reclining at table with the twelve disciples.

21 And [while] they were eating he said, "Truly I say to you, that one of you will betray me."

22 And greatly distressed, each one began to say to him, "{Surely I am not he, am I}, Lord?"

23 And he answered [and] said, "The one who dips his hand in the bowl with me--this one will betray me.

24 The Son of Man is going just as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if that man had not been born."

25 And Judas, the one who was betraying him, answered [and] said, "{Surely I am not he, am I}, Rabbi?" He said to him, "You have said [it]."

26 Now [while] they were eating Jesus took bread and, [after] giving thanks, he broke [it], and giving [it] to the disciples, he said, "Take, eat, this is my body."

27 And [after] taking the cup and giving thanks he gave [it] to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you,

28 for this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

29 But I tell you, from now [on] I will never drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in the kingdom of my Father."

30 And [after they] had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

31 Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of me during this night, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'

32 But after I am raised, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."

33 But Peter answered [and] said to him, "If they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away!"

34 Jesus said to him, "Truly I say to you that during this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times!"

35 Peter said to him, "Even if it is necessary for me to die with you, I will never deny you!" And all the disciples said the same [thing].

36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go over there [and] pray."

37 And taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be distressed and troubled.

38 Then he said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake with me."

39 And going forward a little he fell down on his face, praying and saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you [will]."

40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, "So, were you not able to stay awake with me one hour?

41 Stay awake and pray that you will not enter into temptation. The spirit [is] willing, but the flesh [is] weak!"

42 Again for the second time he went away [and] prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will must be done."

43 And he came again [and] found them sleeping, {for they could not keep their eyes open}.

44 And leaving them again, he went away [and] prayed for the third [time], saying the same thing again.

45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

46 Get up, let us go! Behold, the one who is betraying me is approaching!"

47 And [while] he was still speaking, behold, Judas--one of the twelve--arrived, and with him a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and elders of the people.

48 Now the one who was betraying him had given them a sign, saying, "[The one] whom I kiss--he is [the one]. Arrest him!"

49 And he came up to Jesus immediately [and] said, "Greetings, Rabbi," and kissed him.

50 And Jesus said to him, "Friend, [do that] for which you have come." Then they came up [and] laid hands on Jesus and arrested him.

51 And behold, one of those with Jesus extended his hand [and] drew his sword, and striking the slave of the high priest, cut off his ear.

52 Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place! For all who take up the sword will die by the sword.

53 Or do you think that I cannot call upon my Father, and he would put at my disposal at once more than twelve legions of angels?

54 How then would the scriptures be fulfilled that it must happen in this way?"

55 At that time Jesus said to the crowds, "Have you come out with swords and clubs, as against a robber, to arrest me? Every day in the temple [courts] I sat teaching, and you did not arrest me!

56 But all this has happened in order that the scriptures of the prophets would be fulfilled." Then the disciples all abandoned him [and] fled.

57 Now those who had arrested Jesus led [him] away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered.

58 But Peter was following him from a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest. And he went inside [and] was sitting with the officers to see the outcome.

59 Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus in order that they could put him to death.

60 And they did not find [it], [although] many false witnesses came forward. And finally two came forward

61 [and] said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild [it] within three days.'"

62 And the high priest stood up [and] said to him, "Do you reply nothing? What are these [people] testifying against you?"

63 But Jesus was silent. And the high priest said to him, "I put you under oath by the living God, that you tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God!"

64 Jesus said to him, "You have said [it]. But I tell you, from now [on] you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven."

65 Then the high priest tore his robes, saying, "He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have just now heard the blasphemy!

66 What do you think?" And they answered [and] said, "{He deserves death}!"

67 Then they spat in his face and struck him with their fists, and they slapped [him],

68 saying, "Prophesy for us, [you] Christ! Who is it who hit you?"

69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a female slave came up to him [and] said, "You also were with Jesus the Galilean."

70 But he denied [it] in the presence of [them] all, saying, "I do not know what you mean!"

71 And [when he] went out to the gateway, another [female slave] saw him and said to those [who were] there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazarene."

72 And again he denied [it] with an oath, "I do not know the man!"

73 And after a little [while] those who were standing there came up [and] said to Peter, "You really are [one] of them also, because even your accent {reveals who you are}."

74 Then he began to curse and to swear with an oath, "I do not know the man!" And immediately a rooster crowed.

75 And Peter remembered the statement Jesus had said, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times," and he went outside [and] wept bitterly.

Matthew 27

1 Now [when it] was early morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus in order to put him to death.

2 And [after] tying him up, they led [him] away and handed [him] over to Pilate the governor.

3 Then [when] Judas, the one who had betrayed him, saw that he had been condemned, he regretted [what he had done] [and] returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and elders,

4 saying, "I have sinned [by] betraying innocent blood!" But they said, "What [is that] to us? You see to [it]!"

5 And throwing the silver coins into the temple he departed. And he went away [and] hanged himself.

6 But the chief priests took the silver coins [and] said, "It is not permitted to put them into the temple treasury, because it is {blood money}."

7 And [after] taking counsel, they purchased {with} them the Potter's Field, for a burial place for strangers.

8 (For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood until today.)

9 Then what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled, who said, "And they took the thirty silver coins, the price of the one who had been priced, [on] whom a price had been set by the sons of Israel,

10 and they gave them for the potter's field, just as the Lord directed me."

11 So Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, saying, "Are you the king of the Jews?" And Jesus said, "You say [so]."

12 And {when he was being accused} by the chief priests and elders he answered nothing.

13 Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many [things] they are testifying against you?"

14 And he did not reply to him, not even with reference to one statement, so that the governor was very astonished.

15 Now at each feast, the governor was accustomed to release one prisoner to the crowd--the one whom they wanted.

16 And at that time they had a notorious prisoner named Jesus Barabbas.

17 So [after] they had assembled, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you--Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?"

18 (For he knew that they had handed him over because of envy.

19 And [while] he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent [a message] to him, saying, "{Have nothing to do with that righteous man}, for I have suffered much as a result of a dream today because of him.")

20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds that they should ask for Barabbas and put Jesus to death.

21 So the governor answered [and] said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barabbas!"

22 Pilate said to them, "What then should I do [with] Jesus, the one who is called Christ?" They all said, "Let him be crucified!"

23 And he said, "Why? What wrong has he done?" But they began to shout even louder, saying, "Let him be crucified!"

24 So Pilate, [when he] saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but instead an uproar was developing, took water [and] washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this man. You see to [it]!"

25 And all the people answered [and] said, "His blood [be] on us and on our children!"

26 Then he released Barabbas for them, but [after] he had Jesus flogged, he handed [him] over so that he could be crucified.

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's residence [and] gathered the whole cohort to him.

28 And they stripped him [and] put a scarlet military cloak around him,

29 and weaving a crown of thorns, they put [it] on his head, and [put] a reed in his right hand. And kneeling down before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!"

30 And they spat on him [and] took the reed and repeatedly struck [him] on his head.

31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the military cloak and put his [own] clothes on him, and led him away in order to crucify [him].

32 And [as they] were going out, they found a man of Cyrene {named} Simon. They forced this man to carry his cross.

33 And [when they] came to a place called Golgotha (which {means Place of a Skull}),

34 they gave him wine mixed with gall to drink, and [when he] tasted [it] he did not want to drink [it].

35 And [when they] had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves [by] casting lots.

36 And they sat down [and] were watching over him there.

37 And they put above his head the charge against him {in writing}: "This is Jesus, the king of the Jews."

38 Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on [his] right and one on [his] left.

39 And those who passed by reviled him, shaking their heads

40 and saying, "The one who would destroy the temple and rebuild [it] in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!"

41 In the same way also the chief priests, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking [him], saying,

42 "He saved others; he is not able to save himself! He is the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him!

43 He trusts in God; let him deliver him now if he wants to, because he said, 'I am the Son of God'!"

44 And in the same [way] even the robbers who were crucified with him were reviling him.

45 Now from the sixth hour, darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour.

46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" (that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?")

47 And some of those who were standing there, [when they] heard [it], said, "This man is summoning Elijah!"

48 And immediately one of them ran and took a sponge and filled [it] with sour wine and put [it] on a reed [and] gave [it] to him to drink.

49 But the others said, "Leave [him] alone! let us see if Elijah is coming to save him."

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice [and] gave up his spirit.

51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook and the rocks were split.

52 And the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,

53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

54 Now the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus, [when they] saw the earthquake and the things that took place, were extremely frightened, saying, "Truly this man was God's Son!"

55 And there were many women there, observing from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, serving him,

56 among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

57 Now [when it] was evening, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph came, who also was a disciple of Jesus himself.

58 This man approached Pilate [and] asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered [it] to be given [to him].

59 And Joseph took the body [and] wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

60 and placed it in his [own] new tomb that he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a large stone to the entrance of the tomb [and] went away.

61 Now Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

62 Now [on] the next day, which is after the day of preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees assembled before Pilate,

63 saying, "Sir, we remember that [while] that deceiver was still alive he said, 'After three days I will rise.'

64 Therefore give orders that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples come [and] steal him and tell the people, 'He has been raised from the dead,' and the last deception will be worse than the first."

65 Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make [it] as secure as you know how."

66 So they went with the guard of soldiers [and] made the tomb secure [by] sealing the stone.