Some were speaking of the temple with its ornamentation of splendid stones and votive gifts, but he said,

"As for what you see, there are days coming when not a stone will be left upon another, without being torn down."

He said, "Take care that you are not misled; for many will come in my name saying, 'I am he' and 'the time is near' ??do not go after them.

So resolve to yourselves that you will not rehearse your defence beforehand,

for I will give you words and wisdom that not one of your opponents will be able to meet or refute.

You will be betrayed by your very parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you will be put to death.

but not a hair of your head will perish.

Hold out stedfast and you win your souls.

Then let those who are in Judaea fly to the hills, let those who are in the city escape, and let not those who are in the country come in to the city;

for these are the days of the divine Vengeance, in fulfilment of all that is written in scripture.

But when these things begin to happen, look up and raise your heads, for your release is not far distant."

Take heed to yourselves in case your hearts get overpowered by dissipation and drunkenness and worldly anxieties, and so that Day catches you suddenly like a trap.

The high priests and scribes were trying how to get him put to death (for they were afraid of the people),

They were delighted and agreed to pay him for it.

They asked him, "Where do you want us to prepare it?"

and tell the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks you, Where is the room in which I can eat the passover with my disciples?'

Then he will show you a large room upstairs with couches spread; make your preparations there."

Then he took a loaf, and after thanking God he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This means my body given up for your sake; do this in memory of me."

So too he gave them the cup after supper, saying, "This cup means the new covenant ratified by my blood shed for your sake.

Which is the greatest, guest or servant? Is it not the guest? But I am among you as a servant.

but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail. And you in turn must be a strength to your brothers."

"Lord," they said, "here are two swords!" "Enough! Enough!" he answered.

He said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not slip into temptation."

Now when the supporters of Jesus saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, shall we strike with our swords?"

And one of them did strike the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

Jesus said, "Let me do this at least," and cured him by touching his ear.

Day after day I was beside you in the temple, and you never stretched a hand against me. But this is your hour, and the dark Power has its way."

and sat down among some people who had lit a fire in the courtyard and were sitting round it.

Shortly afterwards another man noticed him and said, "Why, you are one of them!" "Man," said Peter, "I am not."

"Tell us if you are the Christ." He said to them, "You will not believe me if I tell you,

"Are you the Son of God then?" they all said. "Certainly," he replied, "I am."

They proceeded to accuse him, saying, "We have discovered this fellow perverting our nation, forbidding tribute being paid to Caesar, and alleging he is king messiah."

Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" He replied, "Certainly."

Pilate said to them, "You brought me this man as being an inciter to rebellion among the people. I have examined him before you and found nothing criminal about him, for all your accusations against him.

but Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me but weep for yourselves and for your children!

For there are days coming when the cry will be, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never have borne and the breasts that never have suckled!'

Two criminals were also led out with him to be executed,

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing." Then they distributed his clothes among themselves by drawing lots.

saying, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."

One of the criminals who had been hung also abused him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us as well."

But the other checked him, saying, "Have you no fear even of God? You are suffering the same punishment as he.

And we suffer justly; we are getting what we deserve for our deeds. But he has done no harm."

As for his acquaintances, they were all standing at a distance to look on, with the women who had accompanied him from Galilee.

He then took it down, wrapped it in linen, and put it in a tomb cut out of the rock, where no one had yet been buried.

They were puzzling over this, when two men flashed on them in dazzling raiment.

They were terrified and bent their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look among the dead for him who is alive?

That very day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus about seven miles from Jerusalem.

They were conversing about all these events,

though they were prevented from recognizing him.

He said to them, "What is all this you are debating on your walk?" They stopped, looking downcast,

and one of them, called Cleopas, answered him, "Are you a lone stranger in Jerusalem, not to know what has been happening there?"

but the high priests and our rulers delivered him up to be sentenced to death and crucified him.

Our own hope was that he would be the redeemer of Israel; but he is dead, and that is three days ago!

Though some women of our number gave us a surprise; they were at the tomb early in the morning

Some of our company did go to the tomb and found things exactly as the women had said, but they did not see him."

Now they approached the village to which they were going. He pretended to be going further on,

Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight.

And they said to one another, "Did not our hearts glow within us when he was talking to us on the road, opening up the scriptures for us?"

So they got up and returned that very hour to Jerusalem, where they found the eleven and their friends all gathered,

Just as they were speaking He stood among them [and said to them, "Peace to you!"]

They were scared and terrified, imagining it was a ghost they saw;

but he said to them, "Why are you upset? Why do doubts invade your mind?

Even yet they could not believe it for sheer joy; they were lost in wonder. So he said to them, "Have you any food here?"

And I will send down on you what my Father has promised; wait in the city till you are endued with power from on high."

where they spent all their time within the temple, blessing God.