14:2. But they said: Not on the festival day, lest there should be a tumult among the people.
14:3. And when he was in Bethania, in the house of Simon the leper, and was at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of precious spikenard. And breaking the alabaster box, she poured it out upon his head.
14:4. Now there were some that had indignation within themselves and said: Why was this waste of the ointment made?
14:5. For this ointment might have been sold for more than three hundred pence and given to the poor. And they murmured against her.
14:6. But Jesus said: Let her alone. Why do You molest her? She hath wrought a good work upon me.
14:7. For the poor you have always with you: and whensoever you will, you may do them good: but me you have not always.
14:8. She hath done what she could: she is come beforehand to anoint my body for the burial.
14:9. Amen, I say to you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that also which she hath done shall be told for a memorial of her.
14:10. And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests, to betray him to them.
14:11. Who hearing it were glad: and they promised him they would give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him.
14:12. Now on the first day of the unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the pasch, the disciples say to him: Whither wilt thou that we go and prepare for thee to eat the pasch?
14:13. And he sendeth two of his disciples and saith to them: Go ye into the city; and there shall meet you a man carrying a pitcher of water.
Follow him.
14:14. And whithersoever he shall go in, say to the master of the house, The master saith, Where is my refectory, where I may eat the pasch with my disciples?
14:15. And he will shew you a large dining room furnished. And there prepare ye for us.
14:16. And his disciples went their way and came into the city. And they found as he had told them: and they prepared the pasch.
14:17. And when evening was come, he cometh with the twelve.
14:18. And when they were at table and eating, Jesus saith: Amen I say to you, one of you that eateth with me shall betray me.
14:19. But they began to be sorrowful and to say to him, one by one: Is it I?
14:20. Who saith to them: One of the twelve, who dippeth with me his hand in the dish.
14:21. And the Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man shall be betrayed. It were better for him, if that man had not been born.
14:22. And whilst they were eating, Jesus took bread; and blessing, broke and gave to them and said: Take ye. This is my body.
14:23. And having taken the chalice, giving thanks, he gave it to them.
And they all drank of it.
14:24. And he said to them: This is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many.
14:25. Amen I say to you that I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine until that day when I shall drink it new in the kingdom of G.o.d.
14:26. And when they had sung an hymn, they went forth to the mount of Olives.
14:27. And Jesus saith to them: You will all be scandalized in my regard this night. For it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep shall be dispersed.
14:28. But after I shall be risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.
14:29. But Peter saith to him: Although all shall be scandalized in thee, yet not I.
14:30. And Jesus saith to him: Amen I say to thee, to-day, even in this night, before the c.o.c.k crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.
Crow twice... The c.o.c.ks crow at two different times of the night; viz., about midnight for the first time; and then about the time commonly called the c.o.c.k crowing; and this was the c.o.c.k crowing our Saviour spoke of; and therefore the other Evangelists take no notice of the first crowing.
14:31. But he spoke the more vehemently: Although I should die together with thee, I will not deny thee. And in like manner also said they all.
14:32. And they came to a farm called Gethsemani. And he saith to his disciples: Sit you here, while I pray.
14:33. And he taketh Peter and James and John with him: and he began to fear and to be heavy.
14:34. And he saith to them: My soul is sorrowful even unto death. Stay you here and watch.
14:35. And when he was gone forward a little, he fell flat on the ground: and he prayed that, if it might be, the hour might pa.s.s from him.
14:36. And he saith: Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee: remove this chalice from me; but not what I will, but what thou wilt.
14:37. And he cometh and findeth them sleeping. And he saith to Peter: Simon, sleepest thou? Couldst thou not watch one hour?
14:38. Watch ye: and pray that you enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
14:39. And going away again, he prayed, saying the same words.
14:40. And when he returned, he found them again asleep (for their eyes were heavy): and they knew not what to answer him.
14:41. And he cometh the third time and saith to them: Sleep ye now and take your rest. It is enough. The hour is come: behold the Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners.
14:42. Rise up: let us go. Behold, he that will betray me is at hand.
14:43. And while he was yet speaking, cometh Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve: and with him a great mult.i.tude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the ancients.
14:44. And he that betrayed him had given them a sign, saying: Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he. Lay hold on him: and lead him away carefully.
14:45. And when he was come, immediately going up to him he saith: Hail, Rabbi! And he kissed him.
14:46. But they laid hands on him and held him.
14:47. And one of them that stood by, drawing a sword, struck a servant of the chief priest and cut off his ear.
14:48. And Jesus answering, said to them: Are you come out as to a robber, with swords and staves to apprehend me?
14:49. I was daily with you in the temple teaching: and you did not lay hands on me. But that the scriptures may be fulfilled.