Matthew 26:1–75

¹ When Jesus had finished saying all these things, He told His disciples, ² “You know that the Passover is two days away, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” ³ At that time the chief priests and elders of the people assembled in the courtyard of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, ⁴ and they conspired to arrest Jesus covertly and kill Him. ⁵ “But not during the feast,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.” ⁶ While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, ⁷ a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, which she poured on His head as He reclined at the table. ⁸ When the disciples saw this, they were indignant and asked, “Why this waste? ⁹ This perfume could have been sold at a high price, and the money given to the poor.” ¹⁰ Aware of this, Jesus asked, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful deed to Me. ¹¹ The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me. ¹² By pouring this perfume on Me, she has prepared My body for burial. ¹³ Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” ¹⁴ Then one of the Twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests ¹⁵ and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶ So from then on Judas looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus. ¹⁷ On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” ¹⁸ He answered, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him that the Teacher says, ‘My time is near. I will keep 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 with the twelve disciples. ²¹ And while they were eating, He said to them, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray Me.” ²² They were deeply grieved and began to ask Him one after another, “Surely not I, Lord?” ²³ Jesus answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with Me will betray Me. ²⁴ The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed. It would be better for him if he had not been born.” ²⁵ Then Judas, who would betray Him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “You have said it yourself.” ²⁶ While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body.” ²⁷ Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it,…