MarkChapter 14

Tap any verse to comment or suggest a better wording.

¹It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a secret way to arrest Jesus and kill him. ²"But not during the feast," they said. "The people might start a riot." ³Jesus was in Bethany. He was eating at the home of Simon the Leper. A woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly perfume made of pure nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume on Jesus' head.a ⁴But some of the people there were angry. They said to each other, "Why waste this perfume? ⁵It could have been sold for more than a year's pay. The money could have been given to the poor." And they scolded her.b ⁶But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me. ⁷You will always have the poor with you. You can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. ⁸She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body ahead of time to get it ready to be buried. ⁹I tell you the truth. The good news will be preached all over the world. Wherever it is, what she has done will also be told in memory of her." ¹⁰Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests. He went to hand Jesus over to them. ¹¹They were very glad to hear this. They promised to give him money. So Judas began to look for a chance to hand Jesus over. ¹²It was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. On that day the Passover lamb was killed as a sacrifice. Jesus' disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and get things ready for you to eat the Passover?" ¹³So he sent two of his disciples. He told them, "Go into the city. A man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. ¹⁴He will go into a house. Say to the owner of that house, 'The Teacher asks, "Where is my guest room? Where can I eat the Passover with my disciples?"' ¹⁵He will show you a large upstairs room. It will have what you need and be ready. Get things ready for us there." ¹⁶So the disciples left and went into the city. They found everything just as Jesus had told them. And they got the Passover meal ready. ¹⁷When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. ¹⁸They were at the table eating. Then Jesus said, "I tell you the truth. One of you will turn against me and hand me over. He is eating with me now." ¹⁹They became very sad. One after another, they said to him, "It isn't me, is it?" ²⁰He answered, "It is one of the Twelve. He is the one dipping his hand into the bowl with me. ²¹The Son of Man will go, just as it is written about him. But how terrible it will be for the man who hands over the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had never been born." ²²While they were eating, Jesus took bread. He said a blessing and broke it. He gave it to the disciples and said, "Take it. This is my body." ²³Then he took the cup. He gave thanks and gave it to them. They all drank from it. ²⁴He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant. It is poured out for many. ²⁵I tell you the truth. I will not drink wine again until that day. On that day I will drink it new in the kingdom of God."c ²⁶Then they sang a hymn. And they went out to the Mount of Olives. ²⁷Jesus said to them, "You will all turn away. It is written,
'I will strike the Shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered.' ²⁸But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee." ²⁹Peter said, "Even if everyone else turns away, I never will." ³⁰"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered. "Tonight, before the rooster crows twice, you will say three times that you don't know me." ³¹But Peter kept saying, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never say I don't know you." And all the others said the same thing. ³²Then they came to a place called Gethsemane. Jesus told his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." ³³He took Peter, James, and John with him. He began to be very troubled and upset. ³⁴Then he said to them, "My soul is so full of sorrow that I feel close to death. Stay here and keep watch." ³⁵He went a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the hour would pass him by. ³⁶"Abba, Father," he said, "you can do all things. Take this cup away from me. But let what you want be done, not what I want."d ³⁷Then Jesus came back and found them sleeping. "Simon, are you asleep?" he asked. "Couldn't you keep watch for one hour? ³⁸Watch and pray so that you won't fall into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak." ³⁹He went away again and prayed. He said the same thing. ⁴⁰Jesus came back again and found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They didn't know what to say to him. ⁴¹Jesus came back the third time. He said, "Are you still sleeping and resting? That's enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is being handed over to sinners. ⁴²Get up! Let's go. Look, the one who is handing me over is coming!" ⁴³Jesus was still speaking when Judas arrived. Judas was one of the Twelve. A crowd came with him carrying swords and clubs. The chief priests, the scribes, and the elders had sent them. ⁴⁴Judas had planned a signal with them. "The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him and take him away under guard." ⁴⁵Judas went right up to Jesus. He said, "Rabbi!" and kissed him. ⁴⁶Then the men grabbed Jesus and arrested him. ⁴⁷One of the people standing there pulled out his sword. He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. ⁴⁸Jesus asked the crowd, "Am I a criminal? Is that why you came out with swords and clubs to arrest me? ⁴⁹Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts. And you didn't arrest me. But this has happened so the Scriptures would come true." ⁵⁰Then everyone left him and ran away. ⁵¹A young man was following Jesus. He was wearing only a linen cloth around his body. They grabbed him, ⁵²but he slipped out of the linen cloth and ran away naked. ⁵³They took Jesus to the high priest. All the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes gathered there. ⁵⁴Peter followed Jesus from far behind. He went right into the courtyard of the high priest. He sat with the guards and warmed himself by the fire. ⁵⁵The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for proof against Jesus. They wanted to put him to death. But they didn't find any.e ⁵⁶For many people told lies about Jesus. But their stories did not agree. ⁵⁷Then some men stood up. They told lies against him. They said, ⁵⁸"We heard him say, 'I will destroy this temple made by human hands. In three days I will build another one, not made by hands.'" ⁵⁹But even their stories did not agree. ⁶⁰So the high priest stood up in front of them. He asked Jesus, "Aren't you going to answer? What are these men saying against you?" ⁶¹But Jesus stayed silent. He gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?" ⁶²"I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One. You will see him coming with the clouds of heaven."f ⁶³Then the high priest tore his clothes. He said, "Why do we need any more witnesses? ⁶⁴You have heard him speak against God. What do you decide?" They all judged that he should be put to death.g ⁶⁵Then some of them began to spit on him. They covered his eyes and hit him with their fists. They said to him, "Prophesy!" And the guards took him and slapped him in the face. ⁶⁶Peter was down below in the courtyard. One of the high priest's servant girls came by. ⁶⁷She saw Peter warming himself there. She looked closely at him and said, "You were with Jesus from Nazareth too." ⁶⁸But Peter said it wasn't true. "I don't know or even understand what you're talking about," he said. Then he went out to the gateway. And the rooster crowed.h ⁶⁹The servant girl saw him there. Again she said to the people standing nearby, "This man is one of them." ⁷⁰But again Peter said it wasn't true. After a little while, the people standing nearby said to Peter again, "You must be one of them. You are from Galilee too." ⁷¹Then Peter began to call down curses and to swear. "I don't know this man you're talking about!" ⁷²Right away the rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him: "Before the rooster crows twice, you will say three times that you don't know me." And he broke down and cried.