Chapter 22

¹The festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching. ²And the high priests and the scribes were casting about for a way to put him to death, for they were afraid of the people.

³But Satan entered into Judas, who was called Iscariot, a member of the Twelve. ⁴And he went off and discussed with the high priests and captains of the Temple how he could betray him to them. ⁵And they were delighted and agreed to pay him for it. ⁶And he accepted their offer, and watched for an opportunity to betray him to them without a disturbance.

⁷When the day of Unleavened Bread came, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed, ⁸Jesus sent Peter and John, saying to them,

“Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”

⁹They said to him,

“Where do you want us to prepare it?”

¹⁰He said to them,

“Just after you enter the city, you will meet a man carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him to the house to which he goes, ¹¹and say to the man of the house, ‘Our Master says to you, “Where is the room where I can eat the Passover supper with my disciples?” ’ ¹²And he will show you a large room upstairs with the necessary furniture. Make your preparations there.”

¹³So they went and found everything just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover supper.

¹⁴When the time came, he took his place at the table, with the apostles about him. ¹⁵And he said to them,

“I have greatly desired to eat this Passover supper with you before I suffer. ¹⁶For I tell you, I will never eat one again until it reaches its fulfilment in the Kingdom of God.”

¹⁷And when he was handed a cup, he thanked God, and then said,

“Take this and share it among you, for I tell you, ¹⁸I will not drink the product of the vine again until the Kingdom of God comes.”

¹⁹And he took a loaf of bread and thanked God, and broke it in pieces, and gave it to them, saying,

“This is my body. ²¹Yet look! The hand of the man who is betraying me is beside me on the table! ²²For the Son of Man is going his way, as it has been decreed, but alas for the man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!”

²³And they began to discuss with one another which of them it was who was going to do this. ²⁴A dispute also arose among them, as to which one of them ought to be considered the greatest. ²⁵But he said to them,

“The kings of the heathen lord it over them, and their authorities are given the title of Benefactor. ²⁶But you are not to do so, but whoever is greatest among you must be like the youngest, and the leader like a servant. ²⁷For which is greater, the man at the table, or the servant who waits on him? Is not the man at the table? Yet I am like a servant among you. ²⁸But it is you who have stood by me in my trials. ²⁹So just as my Father has conferred a kingdom on me ³⁰I confer on you the right to eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and to sit on thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel! ³¹O Simon, Simon! Satan has obtained permission to sift all of you like wheat, ³²but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail. And afterward you yourself must turn and strengthen your brothers.”

³³Peter said to him,

“Master, I am ready to go to prison and to death with you!”

³⁴But he said,

“I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow today before you deny three times that you know me!”

³⁵And he said to them,

“When I sent you out without any purse or bag or shoes, was there anything you needed?”

They said,

“No, nothing.”

³⁶He said to them,

“But now, if a man has a purse let him take it, and a bag too. And a man who has no sword must sell his coat and buy one. ³⁷For I tell you that this saying of Scripture must find its fulfilment in me: ‘He was rated an outlaw.’ Yes, that saying about me is to be fulfilled!”

³⁸But they said,

“See, Master, here are two swords!”

And he said to them,

“Enough of this!”

³⁹And he went out of the city and up on the Mount of Olives as he was accustomed to do, with his disciples following him. ⁴⁰And when he reached the spot, he said to them,

“Pray that you may not be subjected to trial.”

⁴¹And he withdrew about a stone’s throw from them, and kneeling down he prayed ⁴²and said,

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. But not my will but yours be done!”

⁴⁵When he got up from his prayer, he went to the disciples and found them asleep from sorrow. ⁴⁶And he said to them,

“Why are you asleep? Get up, and pray that you may not be subjected to trial!”

⁴⁷While he was still speaking, a crowd of people came up, with the man called Judas, one of the Twelve, at their head, and he stepped up to Jesus to kiss him. ⁴⁸Jesus said to him,

“Would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”

⁴⁹Those who were about him saw what was coming and said,

“Master, shall we use our swords?”

⁵⁰And one of them did strike at the high priest’s slave and cut his right ear off. ⁵¹But Jesus answered,

“Let me do this much!”

And he touched his ear and healed him. ⁵²And Jesus said to the high priests, captains of the Temple, and elders who had come to take him,

“Have you come out with swords and clubs as though I were a robber? ⁵³When I was among you day after day in the Temple you never laid a hand on me! But you choose this hour, and the cover of darkness!”

⁵⁴Then they arrested him and led him away and took him to the house of the high priest. And Peter followed at a distance. ⁵⁵And they kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat about it, and Peter sat down among them. ⁵⁶A maid saw him sitting by the fire and looked at him and said,

“This man was with him too.”

⁵⁷But he denied it, and said,

“I do not know him.”

⁵⁸Shortly after, a man saw him and said,

“You are one of them too!”

But Peter said,

“I am not!”

⁵⁹About an hour later, another man insisted,

“This man was certainly with him too, for he is a Galilean!”

⁶⁰But Peter said,

“I do not know what you mean.”

And immediately, just as he spoke, a cock crowed. ⁶¹And the Master turned and looked at Peter, and Peter remembered the words the Master had said to him—“Before the cock crows today, you will disown me three times.” ⁶²And he went outside and wept bitterly.

⁶³The men who had Jesus in custody flogged him and made sport of him, ⁶⁴and they blindfolded him, and asked him,

“Show that you are a prophet! Who was it that struck you?” ⁶⁵And they said many other abusive things to him.

⁶⁶As soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the high priests and scribes assembled, and brought him before their council, and said to him,

⁶⁷“If you are the Christ, tell us so.”

But he said to them,

“If I tell you, you will not believe me, ⁶⁸and if I ask you a question, you will not answer me. ⁶⁹But from this time on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of God Almighty!”

⁷⁰And they all said,

“Are you the Son of God then?”

And he said to them,

“I am, as you say!”

⁷¹Then they said,

“What do we want of testimony now? We have heard it ourselves from his own mouth!”