Mark 14
New Century Version
The Plan to Kill Jesus
14 It was now only two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and teachers of the law were trying to find a trick to arrest Jesus and kill him. 2 But they said, “We must not do it during the feast, because the people might cause a riot.”
A Woman with Perfume for Jesus
3 Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon, who had a skin disease. While Jesus was eating there, a woman approached him with an alabaster jar filled with very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She opened the jar and poured the perfume on Jesus’ head.
4 Some who were there became upset and said to each other, “Why waste that perfume? 5 It was worth a full year’s work. It could have been sold and the money given to the poor.” And they got very angry with the woman.
6 Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you troubling her? She did an excellent thing for me. 7 You will always have the poor with you, and you can help them anytime you want. But you will not always have me. 8 This woman did the only thing she could do for me; she poured perfume on my body to prepare me for burial. 9 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached in all the world, what this woman has done will be told, and people will remember her.”
Judas Becomes an Enemy of Jesus
10 One of the twelve apostles, Judas Iscariot, went to talk to the leading priests to offer to hand Jesus over to them. 11 These priests were pleased about this and promised to pay Judas money. So he watched for the best time to turn Jesus in.
Jesus Eats the Passover Meal
12 It was now the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread when the Passover lamb was sacrificed. Jesus’ followers said to him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover meal?”
13 Jesus sent two of his followers and said to them, “Go into the city and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 When he goes into a house, tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says: “Where is my guest room in which I can eat the Passover meal with my followers?”’ 15 The owner will show you a large room upstairs that is furnished and ready. Prepare the food for us there.”
16 So the followers left and went into the city. Everything happened as Jesus had said, so they prepared the Passover meal.
17 In the evening, Jesus went to that house with the twelve. 18 While they were all eating, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will turn against me—one of you eating with me now.”
19 The followers were very sad to hear this. Each one began to say to Jesus, “I am not the one, am I?”
20 Jesus answered, “It is one of the twelve—the one who dips his bread into the bowl with me. 21 The Son of Man will die, just as the Scriptures say. But how terrible it will be for the person who hands the Son of Man over to be killed. It would be better for him if he had never been born.”
The Lord’s Supper
22 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread and thanked God for it and broke it. Then he gave it to his followers and said, “Take it; this is my body.”
23 Then Jesus took a cup and thanked God for it and gave it to the followers, and they all drank from the cup.
24 Then Jesus said, “This is my blood which is the new[a] agreement that God makes with his people. This blood is poured out for many. 25 I tell you the truth, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine[b] again until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
26 After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus’ Followers Will Leave Him
27 Then Jesus told the followers, “You will all stumble in your faith, because it is written in the Scriptures:
‘I will kill the shepherd,
and the sheep will scatter.’ Zechariah 13:7
28 But after I rise from the dead, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
29 Peter said, “Everyone else may stumble in their faith, but I will not.”
30 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, tonight before the rooster crows twice you will say three times you don’t know me.”
31 But Peter insisted, “I will never say that I don’t know you! I will even die with you!” And all the other followers said the same thing.
Jesus Prays Alone
32 Jesus and his followers went to a place called Gethsemane. He said to them, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him, and he began to be very sad and troubled. 34 He said to them, “My heart is full of sorrow, to the point of death. Stay here and watch.”
35 After walking a little farther away from them, Jesus fell to the ground and prayed that, if possible, he would not have this time of suffering. 36 He prayed, “Abba,[c] Father! You can do all things. Take away this cup[d] of suffering. But do what you want, not what I want.”
37 Then Jesus went back to his followers and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you stay awake with me for one hour? 38 Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. The spirit wants to do what is right, but the body is weak.”
39 Again Jesus went away and prayed the same thing. 40 Then he went back to his followers, and again he found them asleep, because their eyes were very heavy. And they did not know what to say to him.
41 After Jesus prayed a third time, he went back to his followers and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? That’s enough. The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinful people. 42 Get up, we must go. Look, here comes the man who has turned against me.”
Jesus Is Arrested
43 At once, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve apostles, came up. With him were many people carrying swords and clubs who had been sent from the leading priests, the teachers of the law, and the Jewish elders.
44 Judas had planned a signal for them, saying, “The man I kiss is Jesus. Arrest him and guard him while you lead him away.” 45 So Judas went straight to Jesus and said, “Teacher!” and kissed him. 46 Then the people grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 47 One of his followers standing nearby pulled out his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
48 Then Jesus said, “You came to get me with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal. 49 Every day I was with you teaching in the Temple, and you did not arrest me there. But all these things have happened to make the Scriptures come true.” 50 Then all of Jesus’ followers left him and ran away.
51 A young man, wearing only a linen cloth, was following Jesus, and the people also grabbed him. 52 But the cloth he was wearing came off, and he ran away naked.
Jesus Before the Leaders
53 The people who arrested Jesus led him to the house of the high priest, where all the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of the law were gathered. 54 Peter followed far behind and entered the courtyard of the high priest’s house. There he sat with the guards, warming himself by the fire.
55 The leading priests and the whole Jewish council tried to find something that Jesus had done wrong so they could kill him. But the council could find no proof of anything. 56 Many people came and told false things about him, but all said different things—none of them agreed.
57 Then some people stood up and lied about Jesus, saying, 58 “We heard this man say, ‘I will destroy this Temple that people made. And three days later, I will build another Temple not made by people.’” 59 But even the things these people said did not agree.
60 Then the high priest stood before them and asked Jesus, “Aren’t you going to answer? Don’t you have something to say about their charges against you?” 61 But Jesus said nothing; he did not answer.
The high priest asked Jesus another question: “Are you the Christ, the Son of the blessed God?”
62 Jesus answered, “I am. And in the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of God, the Powerful One, and coming on clouds in the sky.”
63 When the high priest heard this, he tore his clothes and said, “We don’t need any more witnesses! 64 You all heard him say these things against God. What do you think?”
They all said that Jesus was guilty and should die. 65 Some of the people there began to spit at Jesus. They blindfolded him and beat him with their fists and said, “Prove you are a prophet!” Then the guards led Jesus away and beat him.
Peter Says He Doesn’t Know Jesus
66 While Peter was in the courtyard, a servant girl of the high priest came there. 67 She saw Peter warming himself at the fire and looked closely at him.
Then she said, “You also were with Jesus, that man from Nazareth.”
68 But Peter said that he was never with Jesus. He said, “I don’t know or understand what you are talking about.” Then Peter left and went toward the entrance of the courtyard. And the rooster crowed.[e]
69 The servant girl saw Peter there, and again she said to the people who were standing nearby, “This man is one of those who followed Jesus.” 70 Again Peter said that it was not true.
A short time later, some people were standing near Peter saying, “Surely you are one of those who followed Jesus, because you are from Galilee, too.”
71 Then Peter began to place a curse on himself and swear, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about!”
72 At once, the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had told him: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Then Peter lost control of himself and began to cry.
Footnotes
- 14:24 new Some Greek copies do not have this word. Compare Luke 22:20.
- 14:25 fruit of the vine Product of the grapevine; this may also be translated “wine.”
- 14:36 Abba Name that a Jewish child called his father.
- 14:36 cup Jesus is talking about the terrible things that will happen to him. Accepting these things will be very hard, like drinking a cup of something bitter.
- 14:68 And the rooster crowed. Some Greek copies do not have this phrase.
Mark 14
Complete Jewish Bible
14 It was now two days before Pesach (that is, the festival of Matzah), and the head cohanim and the Torah-teachers were trying to find some way to arrest Yeshua surreptitiously and have him put to death; 2 for they said, “Not during the festival, or the people will riot.”
3 While he was in Beit-Anyah in the home of Shim‘on (a man who had had tzara‘at), and as he was eating, a woman came with an alabaster jar of perfume, pure oil of nard, very costly. She broke the jar and poured the perfume over Yeshua’s head. 4 But some there angrily said to themselves, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for a year’s wages and given to the poor!” And they scolded her. 6 But he said, “Let her be. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me. 7 For you will always have the poor with you; and whenever you want to, you can help them. But you will not always have me. 8 What she could do, she did do — in advance she poured perfume on my body to prepare it for burial. 9 Yes! I tell you that wherever in the whole world this Good News is proclaimed, what she has done will be told in her memory.”
10 Then Y’hudah from K’riot, who was one of the Twelve, went to the head cohanim in order to betray Yeshua to them. 11 They were pleased to hear this and promised to give him money. And he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Yeshua.
12 On the first day for matzah, when they slaughtered the lamb for Pesach, Yeshua’s talmidim asked him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare your Seder?” 13 He sent two of his talmidim with these instructions: “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him; 14 and whichever house he enters, tell him that the Rabbi says, ‘Where is the guest room for me, where I am to eat the Pesach meal with my talmidim?’ 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make the preparations there.” 16 The talmidim went off, came to the city and found things just as he had told them they would be; and they prepared the Seder.
17 When evening came, Yeshua arrived with the Twelve. 18 As they were reclining and eating, Yeshua said, “Yes! I tell you that one of you is going to betray me.” 19 They became upset and began asking him, one after the other, “You don’t mean me, do you?” 20 “It’s one of the Twelve,” he said to them, “someone dipping matzah in the dish with me. 21 For the Son of Man will die, just as the Tanakh says he will; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him had he never been born!”
22 While they were eating, Yeshua took a piece of matzah, made the b’rakhah, broke it, gave it to them and said, “Take it! This is my body.” 23 Also he took a cup of wine, made the b’rakhah, and gave it to them; and they all drank. 24 He said to them, “This is my blood, which ratifies the New Covenant, my blood shed on behalf of many people. 25 Yes! I tell you, I will not drink this ‘fruit of the vine’ again until the day I drink new wine in the Kingdom of God.”
26 After singing the Hallel, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 27 Yeshua said to them, “You will all lose faith in me, for the Tanakh says,
‘I will strike the shepherd dead,
and the sheep will be scattered.’[a]
28 But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you into the Galil.” 29 Kefa said to him, “Even if everyone else loses faith in you, I won’t.” 30 Yeshua replied, “Yes! I tell you that this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will disown me three times!” 31 But Kefa kept insisting, “Even if I must die with you, I will never disown you!” And they all said the same thing.
32 They went to a place called Gat Sh’manim; and Yeshua said to his talmidim, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took with him Kefa, Ya‘akov and Yochanan. Great distress and anguish came over him; 34 and he said to them, “My heart is so filled with sadness that I could die! Remain here and stay awake.” 35 Going on a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that if possible, the hour might pass from him: 36 “Abba!” (that is, “Dear Father!”) “All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me! Still, not what I want, but what you want.” 37 He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Kefa, “Shim‘on, are you asleep? Couldn’t you stay awake one hour? 38 Stay awake, and pray that you will not be put to the test — the spirit indeed is eager, but human nature is weak.”
39 Again he went away and prayed, saying the same words; 40 and again he came and found them sleeping, their eyes were so very heavy; and they didn’t know what to answer him.
41 The third time, he came and said to them, “For now, go on sleeping, take your rest. . . .There, that’s enough! The time has come! Look! The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners! 42 Get up! Let’s go! Here comes my betrayer!”
43 While Yeshua was still speaking, Y’hudah (one of the Twelve!) came, and with him a crowd carrying swords and clubs, from the head cohanim, the Torah-teachers and the elders. 44 The betrayer had arranged to give them a signal: “The man I kiss is the one you want. Grab him, and take him away under guard.” 45 As he arrived, he went right up to Yeshua, said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. 46 Then they laid hold of Yeshua and arrested him; 47 but one of the people standing nearby drew his sword and struck at the servant of the cohen hagadol, cutting off his ear.
48 Yeshua addressed them: “So you came out to take me with swords and clubs, the way you would the leader of a rebellion? 49 Every day I was with you in the Temple court, teaching, and you didn’t seize me then! But let the Tanakh be fulfilled.” 50 And they all deserted him and ran away. 51 There was one young man who did try to follow him; but he was wearing only a nightshirt; and when they tried to seize him, 52 he slipped out of the nightshirt and ran away naked.
53 They led Yeshua to the cohen hagadol, with whom all the head cohanim, elders and Torah-teachers were assembling. 54 Kefa followed him at a distance right into the courtyard of the cohen hagadol, where he sat down with the guards and warmed himself by the fire.
55 The head cohanim and the whole Sanhedrin tried to find evidence against Yeshua, so that they might have him put to death, but they couldn’t find any. 56 For many people gave false evidence against him, but their testimonies didn’t agree. 57 Some stood up and gave this false testimony: 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this Temple made with hands; and in three days I will build another one, not made with hands.’” 59 Even so, their testimonies didn’t agree.
60 The cohen hagadol stood up in the front and asked Yeshua, “Have you nothing to say to the accusations these men are making?” 61 But he remained silent and made no reply. Again the cohen hagadol questioned him: “Are you the Mashiach, Ben-HaM’vorakh?” 62 “I AM,” answered Yeshua. “Moreover, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of HaG’vurah and coming on the clouds of heaven.”[b] 63 At this, the cohen hagadol tore his clothes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? 64 You heard him blaspheme! What is your decision?” And they all declared him guilty and subject to the death penalty.
65 Then some began spitting at him; and after blindfolding him, they started pounding him with their fists and saying to him, “Let’s see you prophesy!” And as the guards took him, they beat him too.
66 Meanwhile, Kefa was still in the courtyard below. One of the serving-girls of the cohen hagadol 67 saw Kefa warming himself, took a look at him, and said, “You were with the man from Natzeret, Yeshua!” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about!” He went outside into the entryway, and a rooster crowed. 69 The girl saw him there and started telling the bystanders, “This fellow is one of them.” 70 Again he denied it. A little later, the bystanders themselves said to Kefa, “You must be one of them, because you’re from the Galil.” 71 At this he began to invoke a curse on himself as he swore, “I do not know this man you are telling me about!” — 72 and immediately the rooster crowed a second time. Then Kefa remembered what Yeshua had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will disown me three times.” And throwing himself down, he burst into tears.
Footnotes
- Mark 14:27 Zechariah 13:7
- Mark 14:62 Daniel 7:13; Psalm 110:1
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.