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Matthew 26:36-75
Contemporary English Version
Matthew 26:36-75
Contemporary English Version
Jesus Prays
(Mark 14.32-42; Luke 22.39-46)
36 Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. When they got there, he told them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”
37 Jesus took along Peter and the two brothers, James and John.[a] He was very sad and troubled, 38 and he said to them, “I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with me.”
39 Jesus walked on a little way. Then he knelt with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, don't make me suffer by drinking from this cup.[b] But do what you want, and not what I want.”
40 He came back and found his disciples sleeping. So he said to Peter, “Can't any of you stay awake with me for just one hour? 41 Stay awake and pray that you won't be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak.”
42 Again Jesus went to pray and said, “My Father, if there is no other way, and I must suffer, I will still do what you want.”
43 Jesus came back and found them sleeping again. They simply could not keep their eyes open. 44 He left them and prayed the same prayer once more.
45 Finally, Jesus returned to his disciples and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting?[c] The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners. 46 Get up! Let's go. The one who will betray me is already here.”
Jesus Is Arrested
(Mark 14.43-50; Luke 22.47-53; John 18.3-12)
47 Jesus was still speaking, when Judas the betrayer came up. He was one of the twelve disciples, and a large mob armed with swords and clubs was with him. They had been sent by the chief priests and the nation's leaders. 48 Judas had told them ahead of time, “Arrest the man I greet with a kiss.”[d]
49 Judas walked right up to Jesus and said, “Hello, teacher.” Then Judas kissed him.
50 Jesus replied, “My friend, do what you came for.”[e]
The men grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51 One of Jesus' followers pulled out a sword. He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
52 But Jesus told him, “Put your sword away. Anyone who lives by fighting will die by fighting. 53 Don't you know that I could ask my Father, and he would at once send me more than twelve armies of angels? 54 But then, how could the words of the Scriptures come true, which say this must happen?”
55 (A) Jesus said to the mob, “Why do you come with swords and clubs to arrest me like a criminal? Day after day I sat and taught in the temple, and you didn't arrest me. 56 But all this happened, so that what the prophets wrote would come true.”
All Jesus' disciples left him and ran away.
Jesus Is Questioned by the Council
(Mark 14.53-65; Luke 22.54,55,63-71; John 18.13,14,19-24)
57 After Jesus had been arrested, he was led off to the house of Caiaphas the high priest. The nation's leaders and the teachers of the Law of Moses were meeting there. 58 But Peter followed along at a distance and came to the courtyard of the high priest's palace. He went in and sat down with the guards to see what was going to happen.
59 The chief priests and the whole council wanted to put Jesus to death. So they tried to find some people who would tell lies about him in court.[f] 60 But they could not find any, even though many did come and tell lies. At last, two men came forward 61 (B) and said, “This man claimed he could tear down God's temple and build it again in three days.”
62 The high priest stood up and asked Jesus, “Why don't you say something in your own defense? Don't you hear the charges they are making against you?” 63 But Jesus did not answer. So the high priest said, “With the living God looking on, you must tell the truth. Are you the Messiah, the Son of God?”[g]
64 (C) “That is what you say!” Jesus answered. “But I tell all of you,
‘Soon you will see
the Son of Man
sitting at the right side[h]
of God All-Powerful
and coming on the clouds
of heaven.’ ”
65 (D) The high priest then tore his robe and said, “This man claims to be God! We don't need any more witnesses! You have heard what he said. 66 What do you think?”
They answered, “He is guilty and deserves to die!” 67 (E) Then they spit in his face and hit him with their fists. Others slapped him 68 and said, “You think you are the Messiah! So tell us who hit you!”
Peter Says He Doesn't Know Jesus
(Mark 14.66-72; Luke 22.56-62; John 18.15-18,25-27)
69 While Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, a servant girl came up to him and said, “You were with Jesus from Galilee.”
70 But in front of everyone Peter said, “That isn't so! I don't know what you are talking about!”
71 When Peter had gone out to the gate, another servant girl saw him and said to some people there, “This man was with Jesus from Nazareth.”
72 Again Peter denied it, and this time he swore, “I don't even know that man!”
73 A little while later some people standing there walked over to Peter and said, “We know you are one of them. We can tell it because you talk like someone from Galilee.”
74 Peter began to curse and swear, “I don't know that man!”
Right then a rooster crowed, 75 and Peter remembered that Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows, you will say three times you don't know me.” Then Peter went out and cried bitterly.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 26.37 the two brothers, James and John: The Greek text has “the two sons of Zebedee” (see 27.56).
- 26.39 by drinking from this cup: In the Scriptures “to drink from a cup” sometimes means to suffer (see the note at 20.22).
- 26.45 Are you still sleeping and resting: Or “You may as well keep on sleeping and resting.”
- 26.48 the man I greet with a kiss: It was the custom for people to greet each other with a kiss on the cheek.
- 26.50 do what you came for: Or “why are you here?”
- 26.59 some people who would tell lies about him in court: The Law of Moses taught that two witnesses were necessary before a person could be put to death (see verse 60).
- 26.63 Son of God: One of the titles used for the kings of Israel.
- 26.64 right side: See the note at 22.44.
Matthew 26:36-75
New International Version
Matthew 26:36-75
New International Version
Gethsemane(A)
36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee(B) along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow(C) to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”(D)
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup(E) be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”(F)
40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me(G) for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.(H) The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”(I)
43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour(J) has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
Jesus Arrested(K)
47 While he was still speaking, Judas,(L) one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” 49 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!”(M) and kissed him.
50 Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.”[a](N)
Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. 51 With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword,(O) drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.(P)
52 “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.(Q) 53 Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?(R) 54 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled(S) that say it must happen in this way?”
55 In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching,(T) and you did not arrest me. 56 But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.”(U) Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.
Jesus Before the Sanhedrin(V)
57 Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas(W) the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. 58 But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest.(X) He entered and sat down with the guards(Y) to see the outcome.
59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin(Z) were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 60 But they did not find any, though many false witnesses(AA) came forward.
Finally two(AB) came forward 61 and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”(AC)
62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 63 But Jesus remained silent.(AD)
The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath(AE) by the living God:(AF) Tell us if you are the Messiah,(AG) the Son of God.”(AH)
64 “You have said so,”(AI) Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One(AJ) and coming on the clouds of heaven.”[b](AK)
65 Then the high priest tore his clothes(AL) and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. 66 What do you think?”
“He is worthy of death,”(AM) they answered.
67 Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists.(AN) Others slapped him 68 and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”(AO)
Peter Disowns Jesus(AP)
69 Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.
70 But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
71 Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72 He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”
73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”
74 Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”
Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”(AQ) And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Footnotes
- Matthew 26:50 Or “Why have you come, friend?”
- Matthew 26:64 See Psalm 110:1; Daniel 7:13.
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