014:001 It was now two days before the Passover and the feast of
Unleavened Bread, and the High Priests and Scribes were bent
on finding how to seize Him by stratagem and put Him to death.
014:002 But they said, "Not on the Festival-day, for fear there should
be a riot among the people."
014:003 Now when He was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the Leper,
while He was at table, there came a woman with a jar of pure,
sweet-scented ointment very costly: she broke the jar
and poured the ointment over His head.
014:004 But there were some who said indignantly among themselves,
"Why has the ointment been thus wasted?
014:005 For that ointment might have been sold for fifteen pounds
or more, and the money have been given to the poor."
And they were exceedingly angry with her.
014:006 But Jesus said, "Leave her alone: why are you troubling her?
She has done a most gracious act towards me.
014:007 For you always have the poor among you, and whenever you
choose you can do acts of kindness to them; but me you
have not always.
014:008 What she could she did: she has perfumed my body in preparation
for my burial.
014:009 And I solemnly tell you that wherever in the whole world
the Good News shall be proclaimed, this which she has done
shall also be told in remembrance of her."
014:010 But Judas Iscariot, already mentioned as one of the Twelve,
went to the High Priests to betray Jesus to them.
014:011 They gladly listened to his proposal, and promised to give
him a sum of money. So he looked out for an opportunity
to betray Him.
014:012 On the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread--the day for
killing the Passover lamb--His disciples asked Him, "Where shall
we go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?"
014:013 So He sent two of His disciples with instructions, saying,
"Go into the city, and you will meet a man carrying a pitcher
of water: follow him,
014:014 and whatever house he enters, tell the master of the house,
'The Rabbi asks, Where is my room where I can eat the Passover
with my disciples?'
014:015 Then he will himself show you a large room upstairs, ready furnished:
there make preparation for us."
014:016 So the disciples went out and came to the city, and found everything
just as He had told them; and they got the Passover ready.
014:017 When it was evening, He came with the Twelve.
014:018 And while they were at table Jesus said, "I solemnly tell you
that one of you will betray me--one who is eating with me."
014:019 They were filled with sorrow, and began asking Him, one by one,
"Not I, is it?"
014:020 "It is one of the Twelve," He replied; "he who is dipping
his fingers in the dish with me.
014:021 For the Son of Man is going His way as it is written about Him;
but alas for the man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!
It had been a happy thing for that man, had he never been born."
014:022 Also during the meal He took a Passover biscuit, blessed it,
and broke it. He then gave it to them, saying, "Take this,
it is my body."
014:023 Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and handed it to them,
and they all of them drank from it.
014:024 "This is my blood," He said, "which is to be poured out on
behalf of many--the blood which makes the Covenant sure.
014:025 I solemnly tell you that never again will I taste the produce
of the vine till I shall drink the new wine in the Kingdom of God."
014:026 After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
014:027 Then said Jesus to them, "All of you are about to stumble
and fall, for it is written, 'I will strike down the Shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered in all directions.'
014:028 But after I have risen to life again I will go before
you into Galilee."