The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 When Yeshua had finished speaking, he said to his talmidim,
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And when Jesus had come to the end of all these words, he said to his disciples,
2 "As you know, Pesach is two days away, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be nailed to the execution-stake."
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After two days is the Passover, and the Son of man will be given up to the death of the cross.
3 Then the head cohanim and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of Kayafa the cohen hagadol.
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Then the chief priests and the rulers of the people came together in the house of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas.
4 They made plans to arrest Yeshua surreptitiously and have him put to death;
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And they made designs together to take Jesus by some trick, and put him to death.
5 but they said, "Not during the festival, or the people will riot."
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But they said, Not while the feast is going on, for fear of trouble among the people.
6 Yeshua was in Beit-Anyah, at the home of Shim`on, the man who had had tzara'at.
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Now when Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,
7 A woman who had an alabaster jar filled with very expensive perfume approached Yeshua while he was eating and began pouring it on his head.
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There came to him a woman having a bottle of perfume of great price, and she put the perfume on his head when he was seated at table.
8 When the talmidim saw it, they became very angry. "Why this waste?" they asked.
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But when the disciples saw it they were angry, saying, To what purpose is this waste?
9 "This could have been sold for a lot of money and given to the poor."
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For we might have got much money for this and given it to the poor.
10 But Yeshua, aware of what was going on, said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me.
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But Jesus, seeing it, said to them, Why are you troubling the woman? she has done a kind act to me.
11 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.
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For the poor you have ever with you, but me you have not for ever.
12 She poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial.
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For in putting this perfume on my body, she did it to make me ready for my last resting-place.
13 Yes! I tell you that throughout the whole world, wherever this Good News is proclaimed, what she has done will be told in her memory."
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Truly I say to you, Wherever this good news goes out in all the world, what this woman has done will be talked of in memory of her.
14 Then one of the Twelve, the one called Y'hudah from K'riot, went to the head cohanim
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Then one of the twelve, who was named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said,
15 and said, "What are you willing to give me if I turn Yeshua over to you?" They counted out thirty silver coins and gave them to Y'hudah.n
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What will you give me, if I give him up to you? And the price was fixed at thirty bits of silver.
16 From then on he looked for a good opportunity to betray him.
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And from that time he was watching for a chance to give him into their hands.
17 On the first day for matzah, the talmidim came to Yeshua and asked, "Where do you want us to prepare your Seder?"
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Now on the first day of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Where are we to make ready for you to take the Passover meal?
18 "Go into the city, to so-and-so," he replied, "and tell him that the Rabbi says, `My time is near, my talmidim and I are celebrating Pesach at your house.'"
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And he said to them, Go into the town to such a man, and say to him, The Master says, My time is near: I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.
19 The talmidim did as Yeshua directed and prepared the Seder.
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And the disciples did as Jesus had said to them; and they made ready the Passover.
20 When evening came, Yeshua reclined with the twelve talmidim;
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Now when evening was come, he was seated at table with the twelve disciples;
21 and as they were eating, he said, "Yes, I tell you that one of you is going to betray me."
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And while they were taking food, he said, Truly I say to you that one of you will be false to me.
22 They became terribly upset and began asking him, one after the other, "Lord, you don't mean me, do you?"
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And they were very said, and said to him, one by one, Is it I, Lord?
23 He answered, "The one who dips his matzah in the dish with me is the one who will betray me.
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And he made answer and said, He who puts his hand into the plate with me, the same will be false to me.
24 The Son of Man will die just as the Tanakh says he will; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him had he never been born!"
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The Son of man goes, even as the Writings say of him: but a curse is on that man through whom the Son of man is given up; it would have been well for that man if he had never come into the world.
25 Y'hudah, the one who was betraying him, then asked, "Surely, Rabbi, you don't mean me?" He answered, "The words are yours."
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And Judas, who was false to him, made answer and said, Is it I, Master? He says to him, Yes.
26 While they were eating, Yeshua took a piece of matzah, made the b'rakhah, broke it, gave it to the talmidim and said, "Take! Eat! This is my body!"
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And when they were taking food, Jesus took bread and, after blessing it, he gave the broken bread to the disciples and said, Take it; this is my body.
27 Also he took a cup of wine, made the b'rakhah, and gave it to them, saying, "All of you, drink from it!
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And he took a cup and, having given praise, he gave it to them, saying,
28 For this is my blood, which ratifies the New Covenant, my blood shed on behalf of many, so that they may have their sins forgiven.
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Take of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the testament, which is given for men for the forgiveness of sins.
29 I tell you, I will not drink this `fruit of the vine' again until the day I drink new wine with you in my Father's Kingdom."
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But I say to you that from now I will not take of this fruit of the vine, till that day when I take it new with you in my Father's kingdom.
30 After singing the Hallel, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
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And after a song of praise to God, they went out to the Mountain of Olives.
31 Yeshua then said to them, "Tonight you will all lose faith in me, as the Tanakh says, `I will strike the shepherd dead, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'
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Then said Jesus to them, All of you will be turned away from me this night: for it is said in the Writings, I will put to death the keeper of the sheep, and the sheep of the flock will be put to flight.
32 But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you into the Galil."
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But after I am come back from the dead, I will go before you into Galilee.
33 "I will never lose faith in you," Kefa answered, "even if everyone else does."
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But Peter made answer and said to him, Though all may be turned away from you, I will never be turned away.
34 Yeshua said to him, "Yes! I tell you that tonight before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!"
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Jesus said to him, Truly I say to you that this night, before the hour of the cock's cry, you will say three times that you have no knowledge of me.
35 "Even if I must die with you," Kefa replied, "I will never disown you!" And all the talmidim said the same thing.
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Peter says to him, Even if I am put to death with you, I will not be false to you. So said all the disciples.
36 Then Yeshua went with his talmidim to a place called Gat-Sh'manim and said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."
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Then comes Jesus with them to a place named Gethsemane, and says to his disciples, Be seated here, while I go over there for prayer.
37 He took with him Kefa and Zavdai's two sons. Grief and anguish came over him,
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And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and became sad and very troubled.
38 and he said to them, "My heart is so filled with sadness that I could die! Remain here and stay awake with me."
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Then says he to them, My soul is very sad, even to death: keep watch with me here.
39 Going on a little farther, he fell on his face, praying, "My Father, if possible, let this cup pass from me! Yet -- not what I want, but what you want!"
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And he went forward a little, and falling down on his face in prayer, he said, O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup go from me; but let not my pleasure, but yours be done.
40 He returned to the talmidim and found them sleeping. He said to Kefa, "Were you so weak that you couldn't stay awake with me for even an hour?
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And he comes to the disciples, and sees that they are sleeping, and says to Peter, What, were you not able to keep watch with me one hour?
41 Stay awake, and pray that you will not be put to the test -- the spirit indeed is eager, but human nature is weak."
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Keep watch with prayer, so that you may not be put to the test: the spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is feeble.
42 A second time he went off and prayed. "My Father, if this cup cannot pass away unless I drink it, let what you want be done."
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Again, a second time he went away, and said in prayer, O my Father, if this may not go from me without my taking it, let your pleasure be done.
43 Again he returned and found them sleeping, their eyes were so heavy.
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And he came again and saw them sleeping, for their eyes were tired.
44 Leaving them again, he went off and prayed a third time, saying the same words.
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And he went away from them again, and a third time said the same prayer.
45 Then he came to the talmidim and said, "For now, go on sleeping, take your rest. . . . Look! The time has come for the Son of Man to be betrayed into the hands of sinners.
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Then he comes to the disciples; and says to them, Go on sleeping now, and take your rest: for the hour is come, and the Son of man is given into the hands of evil men.
46 Get up! Let's go! Here comes my betrayer!"
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Up, let us be going: see, he who gives me up is near.
47 While Yeshua was still speaking, Y'hudah (one of the Twelve!) came, and with him a large crowd carrying swords and clubs, from the head cohanim and elders of the people.
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And while he was still talking, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a band armed with swords and sticks, from the chief priests and those in authority over the people.
48 The betrayer had arranged to give them a signal: "The man I kiss is the one you want -- grab him!"
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Now the false one had given them a sign saying, The one to whom I give a kiss, that is he: take him.
49 He went straight up to Yeshua, said, "Shalom, Rabbi!" and kissed him.
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And straight away he came to Jesus and said, Master! and gave him a kiss.
50 Yeshua said to him, "Friend, do what you came to do." Then they moved forward, laid hold of Yeshua and arrested him.
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And Jesus said to him, Friend, do that for which you have come. Then they came and put hands on Jesus, and took him.
51 At that, one of the men with Yeshua reached for his sword, drew it out and struck at the servant of the cohen hagadol, cutting off his ear.
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And one of those who were with Jesus put out his hand, and took out his sword and gave the servant of the high priest a blow, cutting off his ear.
52 Yeshua said to him, "Put your sword back where it belongs, for everyone who uses the sword will die by the sword.
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Then says Jesus to him, Put up your sword again into its place: for all those who take the sword will come to death by the sword.
53 Don't you know that I can ask my Father, and he will instantly provide more than a dozen armies of angels to help me?
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Does it not seem possible to you that if I make request to my Father he will even now send me an army of angels?
54 But if I did that, how could the passages in the Tanakh be fulfilled that say it has to happen this way?"
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But how then would the Writings come true, which say that so it has to be?
55 Then Yeshua addressed the crowd: "So you came out to take me with swords and clubs, the way you would the leader of a rebellion? Every day I sat in the Temple court, teaching; and you didn't seize me then.
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In that hour Jesus said to the people, Have you come out as against a thief with swords and sticks to take me? I was teaching every day in the Temple and you took me not.
56 But all this has happened so that what the prophets wrote may be fulfilled." Then the talmidim all deserted him and ran away.
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But all this has taken place so that the writings of the prophets might come true. Then all his disciples went from him in flight.
57 Those who had seized Yeshua led him off to Kayafa the cohen hagadol, where the Torah-teachers and elders were assembled.
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And those who had made Jesus prisoner took him away to the house of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and those in authority over the people had come together.
58 Kefa followed him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the cohen hagadol; then he went inside and sat down with the guards to see what the outcome would be.
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But Peter went after him at a distance, to the house of the high priest, and went in and took his seat with the servants, to see the end.
59 The head cohanim and the whole Sanhedrin looked for some false evidence against Yeshua, so that they might put him to death.
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Now the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin were looking for false witness against Jesus, so that they might put him to death;
60 But they didn't find any, even though many liars came forward to give testimony. At last, however, two people came forward and said,
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And they were not able to get it, though a number of false witnesses came.
61 "This man said, `I can tear down God's Temple and build it again in three days.'"
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But later there came two who said, This man said, I am able to give the Temple of God to destruction, and to put it up again in three days.
62 The cohen hagadol stood up and said, "Have you nothing to say to the accusation these men are making?"
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And the high priest got up and said to him, Have you no answer? what is it which these say against you?
63 Yeshua remained silent. The cohen hagadol said to him, "I put you under oath! By the living God, tell us if you are the Mashiach, the Son of God!"
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But Jesus said not a word. And the high priest said to him, I put you on oath, by the living God, that you will say to us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.
64 Yeshua said to him, "The words are your own. But I tell you that one day you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of HaG'vurah and coming on the clouds of heaven."
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Jesus says to him, You say so: but I say to you, From now you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.
65 At this, the cohen hagadol tore his robes. "Blasphemy!" he said. "Why do we still need witnesses? You heard him blaspheme!
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Then the high priest, violently parting his robes, said, He has said evil against God: what more need have we of witnesses? for now his words against God have come to your ears:
66 What is your verdict?" "Guilty," they answered. "He deserves death!"
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What is your opinion? They made answer and said, It is right for him to be put to death.
67 Then they spit in his face and pounded him with their fists; and those who were beating him
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Then they put shame on him, and were cruel to him: and some gave him blows, saying,
68 said, "Now, you `Messiah,' `prophesy' to us: who hit you that time?"
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Be a prophet, O Christ, and say who gave you a blow!
69 Kefa was sitting outside in the courtyard when a servant girl came up to him. "You too were with Yeshua from the Galil," she said.
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Now Peter was seated in the open square outside the house: and a servant-girl came to him, saying, You were with Jesus the Galilaean.
70 But he denied it in front of everyone -- "I don't know what you're talking about!"
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But he said before them all that it was false, saying, I have no knowledge of what you say.
71 He went out onto the porch, and another girl saw him and said to the people there, "This man was with Yeshua of Natzeret."
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And when he had gone out into the doorway, another saw him and says to those who were there, This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.
72 Again he denied it, swearing, "I don't know the man!"
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And again he said with an oath, I have no knowledge of the man.
73 After a little while, the bystanders approached Kefa and said, "You must be one of them -- your accent gives you away."
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And after a little time those who were near came and said to Peter, Truly you are one of them; because your talk is witness against you.
74 This time he began to invoke a curse on himself as he swore, "I do not know the man!" -- and immediately a rooster crowed.
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Then with curses and oaths he said, I have no knowledge of the man. And straight away there came the cry of a cock.
75 Kefa remembered what Yeshua had said, "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times"; and he went outside and cried bitterly.
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And the word of Jesus came back to Peter, when he said, Before the hour of the cock's cry, you will say three times that you have no knowledge of me. And he went out, weeping bitterly.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.