The Plot Against Jesus^(A)

26 When Jesus had finished saying all these things,^(B) he said to his disciples, ² “As you know, the Passover^(C) is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

³ Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled^(D) in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,^{(E) 4} and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.^{(F) 5} “But not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be a riot^(G) among the people.”

Jesus Anointed at Bethany^(H)(I)

⁶ While Jesus was in Bethany^(J) in the home of Simon the Leper, ⁷ a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.

⁸ When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. ⁹ “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”

¹⁰ Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ¹¹ The poor you will always have with you,^[a](K) but you will not always have me. ¹² When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.^{(L) 13} Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus^(M)

¹⁴ Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot^(N)—went to the chief priests ¹⁵ and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver.^{(O) 16} From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

The Last Supper^(P)(Q)(R)

¹⁷ On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread,^(S) the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”^(T)

¹⁸ He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time^(U) is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” ¹⁹ So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

²⁰ When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. ²¹ And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”^(V)

²² They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”

²³ Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.^{(W) 24} The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him.^(X) But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

²⁵ Then Judas, the one who would betray him,^(Y) said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”^(Z)

Jesus answered, “You have said so.”

²⁶ While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it^(AA) and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

²⁷ Then he took a cup,^(AB) and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ This is my blood of the^[b] covenant,^(AC) which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.^{(AD) 29} I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you^(AE) in my Father’s kingdom.”

³⁰ When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.^(AF)

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial^(AG)

³¹ Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me,^(AH) for it is written:

³² But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”^(AJ)

³³ Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”

³⁴ “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”^(AK)

³⁵ But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you,^(AL) I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.

Judas Hangs Himself

27 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed.^{(A) 2} So they bound him, led him away and handed him over^(B) to Pilate the governor.^(C)

³ When Judas, who had betrayed him,^(D) saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver^(E) to the chief priests and the elders. ⁴ “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”^(F)

⁵ So Judas threw the money into the temple^(G) and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.^(H)

⁶ The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” ⁷ So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. ⁸ That is why it has been called the Field of Blood^(I) to this day. ⁹ Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:^(J) “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, ¹⁰ and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”^[a](K)

Jesus Before Pilate^(L)

¹¹ Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”^(M)

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

¹² When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer.^{(N) 13} Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?”^{(O) 14} But Jesus made no reply,^(P) not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.

¹⁵ Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner^(Q) chosen by the crowd. ¹⁶ At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus^[b] Barabbas. ¹⁷ So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”^{(R) 18} For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

¹⁹ While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat,^(S) his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent^(T) man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream^(U) because of him.”

²⁰ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.^(V)

²¹ “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.

“Barabbas,” they answered.

²² “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”^(W) Pilate asked.

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

²³ “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar^(X) was starting, he took water and washed his hands^(Y) in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,”^(Z) he said. “It is your responsibility!”^(AA)

²⁵ All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”^(AB)

²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged,^(AC) and handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus^(AD)

²⁷ Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium^(AE) and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. ²⁸ They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,^{(AF) 29} and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.^{(AG) 30} They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.^{(AH) 31} After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.^(AI)

The Crucifixion of Jesus^(AJ)

³² As they were going out,^(AK) they met a man from Cyrene,^(AL) named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.^{(AM) 33} They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).^{(AN) 34} There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall;^(AO) but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. ³⁵ When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.^{(AP) 36} And sitting down, they kept watch^(AQ) over him there. ³⁷ Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.

³⁸ Two rebels were crucified with him,^(AR) one on his right and one on his left. ³⁹ Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads^{(AS) 40} and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days,^(AT) save yourself!^(AU) Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”^{(AV) 41} In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. ⁴² “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel!^(AW) Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe^(AX) in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God. Let God rescue him^(AY) now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴ In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus^(AZ)

⁴⁵ From noon until three in the afternoon darkness^(BA) came over all the land. ⁴⁶ About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,^[c] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).^[d](BB)

⁴⁷ When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar,^(BC) put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. ⁴⁹ The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

⁵⁰ And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.^(BD)

⁵¹ At that moment the curtain of the temple^(BE) was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split^{(BF) 52} and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. ⁵³ They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and^[e] went into the holy city^(BG) and appeared to many people.

⁵⁴ When the centurion and those with him who were guarding^(BH) Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”^(BI)

⁵⁵ Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.^{(BJ) 56} Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph,^[f] and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.^(BK)

The Burial of Jesus^(BL)

⁵⁷ As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸ Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. ⁵⁹ Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰ and placed it in his own new tomb^(BM) that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.