﻿Mark.
Chapter 14.
The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were two days away. The chief priests and the scribes were seeking a way to seize Jesus by deceit and kill him, 
for they said, “Not during the feast, or there may be an uproar among the people.” 
While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly perfume made of pure nard. She broke the jar open and poured it over his head. 
Some were indignant with one another: “Why has this perfume been wasted? 
For it could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, roughly three hundred days' wages, and the proceeds given to the poor.” And they scolded her harshly. 
But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you troubling her? She has done a beautiful thing for me. 
For you always have the poor with you and can do good for them whenever you wish, but you do not always have me. 
She has done what she could. She has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 
Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” 
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to hand Jesus over to them. 
They were glad when they heard this and promised to give him money. So he sought an opportunity to hand him over. 
On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was sacrificed, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 
He sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city. A man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, 
and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ 
He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” 
The disciples went out, came into the city, and found things just as he had told them. They prepared the Passover. 
When evening came, he arrived with the Twelve. 
As they reclined at the table and ate, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 
They began to be sorrowful and said to him one by one, “Surely not I?” 
He said to them, “It is one of the Twelve, one who dips with me into the dish. 
For the Son of Man goes just as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man not to have been born.” 
As they were eating, he took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” 
He took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 
He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 
Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 
After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 
Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 
But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 
Peter said to him, “Even if all fall away, I will not.” 
Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, today, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” 
But Peter insisted all the more, “Even if I must die with you, I will never deny you.” And they all said the same. 
They came to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 
He took Peter, James, and John with him, and began to be deeply troubled and distressed. 
He said to them, “My soul is deeply sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and keep watch.” 
He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and prayed that, if possible, the hour might pass from him. 
He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” 
He came and found them sleeping and said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? 
Keep watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 
Again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. 
He came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. 
He came the third time and said to them, “Sleep on now and take your rest. Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is being handed over into the hands of sinners. 
Get up; let us go. Look, my betrayer has drawn near.” 
Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a crowd with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. 
His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “The one I kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” 
When he arrived, he went straight up to Jesus, said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. 
They laid hands on him and seized him. 
But one of those standing nearby drew his sword, struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his ear. 
Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a robber? 
Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But this is so that the Scriptures may be fulfilled.” 
And they all left him and fled. 
A young man was following him, wearing only a linen cloth over his naked body. They seized him, 
but he left the linen cloth behind and fled naked. 
They led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes gathered. 
Peter followed him at a distance, right into the high priest's courtyard. He sat with the guards and warmed himself by the fire. 
The chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. 
For many gave false testimony against him, but their testimonies did not agree. 
Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying, 
“We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another not made with hands.’” 
But even then their testimony did not agree. 
The high priest stood up in their midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is this testimony they bring against you?” 
But he kept silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” 
Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 
The high priest tore his tunics and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? 
You have heard the blasphemy. What is your judgment?” They all condemned him as deserving death. 
Some began to spit on him, cover his face, and strike him with their fists, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with slaps. 
While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the high priest's slave girls came. 
When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him and said, “You too were with Jesus of Nazareth.” 
But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.” He went outside into the forecourt, and a rooster crowed. 
The slave girl saw him and began again to say to those standing nearby, “This man is one of them.” 
But again he denied it. A little later, those standing nearby said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them, for you too are a Galilean, and your speech is like theirs.” 
He began to curse and swear, “I do not know this man you are talking about.” 
Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And as he thought about it, he wept. 
