- Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, there came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head as he sat in the house. But when some saw this, they had indignation, saying, Unto what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much and given to the poor. When they had said thus, Jesus understood them, and he said unto them, Why trouble you the woman? For she has wrought a good work upon me. For you have the poor always with you, but me you have not always. For she has poured this ointment on my body for my burial, and in this thing that she has done, she shall be blessed; for truly I say unto you, wherever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, this thing that this woman has done shall also be told for a memorial of her.
- Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests and said, What will you give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time, he sought opportunity to betray Jesus.
- Now on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came unto Jesus, saying unto him, Where do you desire that we prepare for you to eat the passover? And he said, Go into the city to such a man and say unto him, The Master says, My time is at hand, I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples. And the disciples did as Jesus appointed them, and they made ready the passover.
- Now when the evening came, he sat down with the twelve. And as they did eat, he said, Truly I say unto you that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? And he answered and said, He that dips his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me, but the Son of Man goes as it is written of him. But woe unto that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would have been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, who betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, You have said.
- And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and broke it, and blessed it, and gave to his disciples, and said, Take, eat. This is in remembrance of my body, which I gave a ransom for you. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink you all of it, for this is in remembrance of my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for as many as shall believe on my name, for the remission of their sins.
- And I give unto you a commandment that you shall observe to do the things which you have seen me do, and bear record of me, even unto the end. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.
- And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives. Then said Jesus unto them, All you shall be offended because of me this night; for it is written: I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of you, I will never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Truly I say unto you that this night, before the cock crows, you shall deny me three times. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with you, yet will I not deny you. Likewise also said all the disciples.
- Then comes Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and said unto the disciples, Sit here while I go and pray over there. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then said he unto them, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death. Wait here and watch with me.
- And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will. And he came unto the disciples and found them asleep, and he said unto Peter, What, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch, and pray that you enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. He went away again the second time and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me except I drink it, your will be done. And he came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then he came to his disciples and said unto them, Sleep on now, and take rest. Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
- And after they had slept, he said unto them, Arise, and let us be going. Behold, he is at hand that does betray me. And while he yet spoke, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomever I shall kiss, that same is he. Hold him fast. And immediately he came to Jesus and said, Hail, Master, and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Judas, why have you come to betray me with a kiss?
- Then came they and laid hands on Jesus and took him. And behold, one of them who was with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again your sword into its place, for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Do you think that I cannot now pray to my Father and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?
- In that same hour said Jesus unto the multitudes, Are you come out as against a thief with swords and staves in order to take me? I sat daily with you in the temple, teaching, and you laid no hold on me. But all this was done that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him and fled.
- And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest’s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants to see the end.
- Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death, but found none. Yea, though many false witnesses came, they found none that could accuse him. At the last, came two false witnesses and said, This man said, I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days. And the high priest arose and said unto him, Do you answer nothing? Do you know what these witness against you? But Jesus held his peace.
- And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure you by the living God that you tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus said unto him, You have said. Nevertheless, I say unto you, hereafter shall you see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of Heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He has spoken blasphemy. What further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now you have heard his blasphemy. What do you think? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. Then they did spit in his face, and buffeted him, and others smote him with the palms of their hands, saying, Prophesy unto us, you Christ. Who is it that smote you?
- Now Peter sat outside in the palace, and a damsel came unto him, saying, You also were with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what you say. And when he had gone out into the porch, another saw him and said unto them that were there, This man was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied, with an oath, saying, I do not know the man. And after a while came they that stood by and said to Peter, Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crowed. And Peter remembered the words of Jesus, which he said unto him: Before the cock crows, you shall deny me three times. And he went out and wept bitterly.
- When the morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. And when they had bound him, they led him away and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
- Then Judas, who had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, regretted it and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said unto him, What is that to us? You see to it; your sins be upon you. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself on a tree. And immediately he fell down, and his bowels gushed out, and he died.
- And the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore, that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value. And therefore they took the pieces of silver and gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed by the mouth of Jeremiah.
- And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, saying, Are you the king of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, You say truly, for thus it is written of me. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Do you not hear how many things they witness against you? And he answered him not to his questions; yea, never a word, insomuch that the governor marveled greatly.
- Now at the feast, the governor was accustomed to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they desired. And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom do you desire that I release unto you? Barabbas? Or Jesus who is called Christ? (For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. When he was seated on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have nothing to do with that just man, for I have suffered many things this day in a vision because of him.)
- But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas and destroy Jesus. And the governor said unto them, Which of the two do you desire that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate said unto them, What shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ? And all said unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why? What evil has he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified! When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but rather a tumult was made, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person. See that you do nothing unto him. Then answered all the people and said, His blood come on us and our children. Then he released Barabbas unto them. And when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
- Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band, and they stripped him, and put on him a purple robe. And when they had plaited a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head and a reed in his right hand. And they bowed the knee before him and they mocked him, saying, Hail, king of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed and smote him on the head. And after they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; him they compelled to bear his cross.
- And when they had come unto a place called Golgotha — that is to say, a place of burial — they gave him vinegar to drink, mingled with gall. And when he had tasted the vinegar, he would not drink. And they crucified him and parted his garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: They parted my garments among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. And sitting down, they watched him there.
- And Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews, in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew. And the chief priest said unto Pilate, It should be written and set up over his head his accusation: This is he that said he was Jesus, the king of the Jews. But Pilate answered and said, What I have written, I have written. Let it alone. Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand and another on the left.
- And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads and saying, You that destroy the temple and build it again in three days, save yourself. If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others, himself he cannot save. If he is the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God, let him deliver him now. If he will save him, let him save him, for he said, I am the Son of God.
- One of the thieves also, who was crucified with him, reviled him in like manner. But the other rebuked him, saying, Do you not fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation, and this man is just and has not sinned? And he cried unto the Lord that he would save him. And the Lord said unto him, This day you shall be with me in the world of spirits.
- Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? (That is to say, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?) Some of them that stood there, when they heard him, said, This man calls for Elijah. And immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. The rest said, Let him be; let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.
- Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice — saying, Father, it is finished; your will is done! — yielded up the ghost.
- And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two, from the top to the bottom. And the earth did quake, and the rocks rent. And the graves were opened, and the bodies of the saints which slept arose, who were many, and came out of the graves, and after his resurrection went into the holy city and appeared unto many.
- Now when the centurions, and they that were with him watching Jesus, heard the earthquake and saw those things which were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. And many women were there beholding afar off, who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him for his burial, among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Jacob and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.
- When the evening came, there came a rich man of Arimathea named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple. He went to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher and departed. And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the sepulcher.
- Now the next day that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulcher be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead, so this last imposture will be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, You have a watch; go your way, make it as sure as you can. So they went and made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone and setting a watch.
Chapter 12