So he appointed the Twelve--Peter (which was the name that Jesus gave to Simon),

And he allowed no one to accompany him, except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.

"But you," he asked, "who do you say that I am?" To this Peter replied: "You are the Christ."

This statement he made openly. But Peter took Jesus aside, and began to rebuke him.

Jesus, however, turning round and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter. "Out of my sight, Satan!" he exclaimed. "For you look at things, not as God does, but as man does."

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain alone by themselves. There his appearance was transformed before their eyes,

"Rabbi," said Peter, interposing, "it is good to be here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

And, if any one puts a snare in the way of one of these lowly ones who believe in me, it would be far better for him if he had been thrown into the sea with a great millstone round his neck.

If your hand proves a snare to you, cut it off. It would be better for you to enter the Life maimed, than to have both your hands and go into the Pit, into the inextinguishable fire.

If your foot proves a snare to you, cut it off. It would be better for you to enter the Life lame, than to have both your feet and be thrown into the Pit.

If your eye proves a snare to you, tear it out. It would be better for you to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye, than to have both eyes and be thrown into the Pit,

"But we," began Peter, "we left everything and have followed you."

Then Peter recollected what had occurred. "Look, Rabbi," he exclaimed, "the fig-tree which you doomed is withered up!"

When Jesus had sat down on the Mount of Olives, facing the Temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew questioned him privately:

See to yourselves! They will betray you to courts of law; and you will be taken to Synagogues and beaten; and you will be brought up before governors and kings for my sake, that you may bear witness before them.

Whenever they betray you and hand you over for trial, do not be anxious beforehand as to what you shall say, but say whatever is given you at the moment; for it will not be you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child; and children will turn against their parents, and cause them to be put to death;

After this, Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the Chief Priests, to betray Jesus to them.

They were glad to hear what he said, and promised to pay him. So he looked for a way to betray Jesus opportunely.

And when they had taken their places and were eating, Jesus said: "I tell you that one of you is going to betray me--one who is eating with me."

True, the Son of Man must go, as Scripture says of him, yet alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is being betrayed! For that man 'it would be better never to have been born!'"

"Even if every one else falls away," said Peter, "yet I shall not."

But Peter vehemently protested: "Even if I must die with you, I shall never disown you!" And they all said the same.

He took with him Peter, James, and John; and began to show signs of great dismay and deep distress of mind.

Then he came and found the three Apostles asleep. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could not you watch for one hour?

Peter, who had followed Jesus at a distance into the court- yard of the High Priest, was sitting there among the police- officers, warming himself at the blaze of the fire.

While Peter was in the court-yard down below, one of the High Priest's maidservants came up;

And, seeing Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him, and exclaimed: "Why, you were with Jesus, the Nazarene!"

But Peter denied it. "I do not know or understand what you mean," he replied. Then he went out into the porch;

But Peter again denied it. Soon afterwards the bystanders again said to him: "You certainly are one of them; why you are a Galilean!"

At that moment, for the second time, a cock crowed; and Peter remembered the words that Jesus had said to him-- 'Before a cock has crowed twice, you will disown me three times'; and, as he thought of it, he began to weep.

But go, and say to his disciples and to Peter 'He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.'"