Day 409 of 730

¹And it happened, when Jesus had finished all these words, that he said to his disciples,

²"You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified."

³Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas.

⁴They took counsel together that they might take Jesus by deceit, and kill him.

⁵But they said, "Not during the feast, lest a riot occur among the people."

⁶Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,

⁷a woman came to him having an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table.

⁸But when the disciples saw this, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste?

⁹For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor."

¹⁰However, knowing this, Jesus said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? Because she has done a good work for me.

¹¹For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have me.

¹²For in pouring this ointment on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.

¹³Truly I tell you, wherever this Good News is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of as a memorial of her."

¹⁴Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests,

¹⁵and said, "What are you willing to give me, that I should deliver him to you?" They weighed out for him thirty pieces of silver.

¹⁶From that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

¹⁷Now on the first day of unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?"

¹⁸He said, "Go into the city to a certain person, and tell him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is near. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples."'"

¹⁹The disciples did as Jesus commanded them, and they prepared the Passover.

²⁰Now when evening had come, he was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples.

²¹As they were eating, he said, "Truly I tell you that one of you will betray me."

²²They were exceedingly sorrowful, and each began to ask him, "It is not me, is it, Lord?"

²³He answered, "He who dipped his hand with me in the dish, the same will betray me.

²⁴The Son of Man goes, even as it is written of him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born."

²⁵Judas, who betrayed him, answered, "It is not me, is it, Rabbi?" He said to him, "You said it."

²⁶As they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it. He gave to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body."

²⁷He took a cup, gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, "All of you drink it,

²⁸for this is my blood of the New Covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins.

²⁹But I tell you that I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on, until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's Kingdom."

³⁰When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

³¹Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of me tonight, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'

³²But after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee."

³³But Peter answered him, "Even if all will be made to stumble because of you, I will never be made to stumble."

³⁴Jesus said to him, "Truly I tell you that tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times."

³⁵Peter said to him, "Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you." All of the disciples also said likewise.

³⁶Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go there and pray."

³⁷He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and severely troubled.

³⁸Then he said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here, and watch with me."

³⁹He went forward a little, fell on his face, and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I desire, but what you desire."

⁴⁰He came to the disciples, and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What, could not you watch with me for one hour?

⁴¹Watch and pray, that you do not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

⁴²Again, a second time he went away, and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cannot pass away from me unless I drink it, your desire be done."

⁴³He came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.

⁴⁴He left them again, went away, and prayed a third time, saying the same words.

⁴⁵Then he came to the disciples, and said to them, "Sleep on now, and take your rest. Behold, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

⁴⁶Arise, let us be going. Behold, he who betrays me is near."

⁴⁷While he was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief priest and elders of the people.

⁴⁸Now he who betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, "Whoever I kiss, he is the one. Seize him."

⁴⁹Immediately he came to Jesus, and said, "Hail, Rabbi!" and kissed him.

⁵⁰Jesus said to him, "Friend, why are you here?" Then they came and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.

⁵¹Behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, and struck off his ear.

⁵²Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place, for all those who take the sword will die by the sword.

⁵³Or do you think that I could not ask my Father, and he would even now send me more than twelve legions of angels?

⁵⁴How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must be so?"

⁵⁵In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to seize me? I sat daily in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me.

⁵⁶But all this has happened, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples left him, and fled.

⁵⁷Those who had taken Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together.

⁵⁸But Peter followed him from a distance, to the court of the high priest, and entered in and sat with the officers, to see the end.

⁵⁹Now the chief priests and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus, that they might put him to death;

⁶⁰and they found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward. But at last two false witnesses came forward,

⁶¹and said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.'"

⁶²The high priest stood up, and said to him, "Have you no answer? What is this that these testify against you?"

⁶³But Jesus held his peace. The high priest answered him, "I adjure you by the living God, that you tell us whether you are the Messiah, the Son of God."

⁶⁴Jesus said to him, "You have said it. Nevertheless, I tell you, after this you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of the sky."

⁶⁵Then the high priest tore his clothing, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Behold, now you have heard his blasphemy.

⁶⁶What do you think?" They answered, "He is worthy of death!"

⁶⁷Then they spit in his face and beat him with their fists, and some slapped him,

⁶⁸saying, "Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you?"

⁶⁹Now Peter was sitting outside in the court, and a maid came to him, saying, "You were also with Jesus, the Galilean!"

⁷⁰But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are talking about."

⁷¹When he had gone out onto the porch, someone else saw him, and said to those who were there, "This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth."

⁷²Again he denied it with an oath, "I do not know the man."

⁷³After a little while those who stood by came and said to Peter, "Surely you are also one of them, for your speech makes you known."

⁷⁴Then he began to curse and to swear, "I do not know the man!" Immediately the rooster crowed.

⁷⁵Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." He went out and wept bitterly.

¹God of my praise, do not remain silent,

²for they have opened the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit against me. They have spoken to me with a lying tongue.

³They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.

⁴In return for my love, they are my adversaries; but I am in prayer.

⁵They have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

⁶Set a wicked man over him. Let an adversary stand at his right hand.

⁷When he is judged, let him come forth guilty. Let his prayer be turned into sin.

⁸Let his days be few. Let another take his office.

⁹Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

¹⁰Let his children be wandering beggars. Let them be sought from their ruins.

¹¹Let the creditor seize all that he has. Let strangers plunder the fruit of his labor.

¹²Let there be none to extend kindness to him, neither let there be any to have pity on his fatherless children.

¹³Let his posterity be cut off. In the generation following let their name be blotted out.

¹⁴Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by the Lord. Do not let the sin of his mother be blotted out.

¹⁵Let them be before the Lord continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth;

¹⁶because he did not remember to show kindness, but persecuted the poor and needy man, the broken in heart, to kill them.

¹⁷Yes, he loved cursing, and it came to him. He did not delight in blessing, and it was far from him.

¹⁸He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment. It came into his inward parts like water, like oil into his bones.

¹⁹Let it be to him as the clothing with which he covers himself, for the belt that is always around him.

²⁰This is the reward of my adversaries from the Lord, of those who speak evil against my soul.

²¹But deal with me, the Lord the Lord, for your name's sake, because your loving kindness is good, deliver me;

²²for I am poor and needy. My heart is wounded within me.

²³I fade away like an evening shadow. I am shaken off like a locust.

²⁴My knees are weak through fasting. My body is thin and lacks fat.

²⁵I have also become a reproach to them. When they see me, they shake their head.

²⁶Help me, Lord, my God. Save me according to your loving kindness;

²⁷that they may know that this is your hand; that you, Lord, have done it.

²⁸They may curse, but you bless. When they arise, they will be shamed, but your servant shall rejoice.

²⁹Let my adversaries be clothed with dishonor. Let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

³⁰I will give great thanks to the Lord with my mouth. Yes, I will praise him among the multitude.

³¹For he will stand at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who judge his soul.

¹My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger;

²You are trapped by the words of your mouth. You are ensnared with the words of your mouth.

³Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, seeing you have come into the hand of your neighbor. Go, humble yourself. Press your plea with your neighbor.

⁴Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.

⁵Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

⁶Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;

⁷which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

⁸provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.

⁹How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?

¹⁰A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

¹¹so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.

¹²A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth;

¹³who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers;

¹⁴in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.

¹⁵Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.

¹⁶There are six things which the Lord hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:

¹⁷haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood;

¹⁸a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,

¹⁹a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.

²⁰My son, keep your father's commandment, and do not forsake your mother's teaching.

²¹Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.

²²When you walk, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with you.

²³For the commandment is a lamp, and the Law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,

²⁴to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife's tongue.

²⁵Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.

²⁶For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.

²⁷Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?

²⁸Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?

²⁹So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.

³⁰Men do not despise a thief, if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry:

³¹but if he is found, he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.

³²He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.

³³He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.

³⁴For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won't spare in the day of vengeance.

³⁵He won't regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.