After two days it was the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a treacherous way to arrest and kill Him.

for they said, Not during the feast, lest haply there shall be a tumult of the people.

And [while] he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, [as] he was reclining for a meal, a woman came holding an alabaster flask of very costly perfumed oil of genuine nard. [After] breaking the alabaster flask, she poured [it] out on his head.

and there were certain much displeased within themselves, and saying, 'For what hath this waste of the ointment been made?

For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.

But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why do you cause trouble for her? She has done a good deed to me.

For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.

She hath done what she could; she hath anointed my body beforehand for the burying.

Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

Now Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve apostles, left and went to the leading priests in order to make arrangements for turning Jesus over to them.

And when they heard this, they were glad and promised to give him silver. So he started looking for a good opportunity to betray Him.

On the first day [of the festival] of Unleavened Bread, when [as was customary] they sacrificed the Passover lamb, His disciples asked Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

Wherever he enters, tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room for Me to eat the Passover with My disciples?”’

And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us.

So, the disciples left and entered the city [of Jerusalem]. They found everything just as Jesus told them [it would be], and they made preparations for the Passover meal.

The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born.

And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.

And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.

Peter said to him: Though all should find occasion for offense, yet I will not.

And he spake the more vehemently, 'If it may be necessary for me to die with thee -- I will in no wise deny thee;' and in like manner also said they all.

And He went on ahead a short distance and fell to the ground and prayed for that hour [i.e., that time of terrible grief] to pass away from Him, if it were at all possible.

He was saying, “Abba, Father! All things are possible for You; take this cup [of judgment] away from Me; but not what I will, but what You will.”

And He came back and found them sleeping, and He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Were you unable to keep watch for one hour?

Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation: for the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him.

Then he came for the third time and said to them, "Still asleep? still resting? No more of that! The hour has come, here is the Son of man betrayed into the hands of sinners.

And Jesus answered and said unto them, "Ye be come out as unto a thief with swords and with staves for to take me?

And they all went away from him in fear.

But he pulled free of the linen sheet and escaped naked.

And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.

And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.

For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together.

then the high priest rising up in the midst of the assembly, ask'd Jesus, saying, have you nothing to plead for your self? what say you to the evidence they give against you?

Then tearing his robe [to express his indignation], the high priest said, “What further need do we have of witnesses?

His words against God have come to your ears: what is your opinion? And they all said it was right for him to be put to death.

And seeing Peter warming himself by the fire, she gave him a look, and said, You were with this Nazarene, even Jesus.

And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.

Immediately a rooster crowed the second time. And Peter remembered what Jesus said to him: “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And thinking of this, he began weeping [in anguish].

Pilate spake to him again, and said, will you make no defence for your self? don't you hear what they urge against you?

But Jesus answered nothing any more, so as for Pilate to wonder.

Now at the [Passover] feast Pilate used to set free for them any one prisoner whom they requested.

And the multitude having cried out, began to ask for themselves as he was always doing to them,

Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to set free for you the King of the Jews?”

For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.

But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to get him to release Barabbas for them instead.

And Pilate said to them, For what evil hath He done? And they cried out uproariously, Crucify Him.

So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, set Barabbas free for them; and after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over [to his soldiers] to be crucified.

and they put on him a purple cloth, and set a wreath of thorns upon his head for a crown;

They offered Him wine, mixed with aromatic spices, but He refused to accept it. [Note: Matt. 27:34 calls this "gall," a bitter drug for the purpose of dulling the pain of crucifixion].

And they crucified Him, and divided up His clothes among themselves, casting lots for them to see who should take what.

And all the passers-by reviled Him. They shook their heads at Him and said, "Ah! you who were for destroying the Sanctuary and building a new one in three days,

In the same way the chief priests, laughing at him among themselves with the scribes, said, A saviour of others, he has no salvation for himself.

And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabacthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, for what cause hast thou abandoned me?

And some of those who stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calls for Elias.

And one of them went quickly and, getting a sponge full of bitter wine, put it on a rod, and gave it to him for drink, saying, Let be; let us see if Elijah will come to take him down.

And women also were beholding from far: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary of James the small and the mother of Joses, and Salome;

all of whom in the Galilaean days had habitually been with Him and cared for Him, as well as many other women who had come up to Jerusalem with Him.

And now evening having come, seeing it was the preparation, that is, the fore-sabbath,

Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counseller, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

But Pilate could hardly believe that He was already dead. He called, however, for the Centurion and inquired whether He had been long dead;

So Joseph purchased a [fine] linen cloth [for wrapping the body], and after taking Jesus down [from the cross], he wrapped Him in the linen cloth and placed Him in a tomb which had been cut out of rock. Then he rolled a [large, wheel-shaped] stone against the entrance of the tomb.

and they said among themselves, 'Who shall roll away for us the stone out of the door of the sepulchre?'

And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen; He is not here. See, [here is] the place where they laid Him.

And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.

Later, Jesus appeared to the eleven [disciples] themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He called them to account for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen [from death].

And for those who believe, these miracles will follow: they will cast out daemons in my name, they will talk in foreign tongues,

They will take up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it will, no, not harm them. They will lay hands on the feeble, and they will fare well.

as for the disciples, they went and preached the gospel in all parts: the Lord co-operating with them, and confirming their doctrine by the miracles that accompany'd it.

Seeing, indeed, that, many, had taken in hand to re-arrange for themselves a narrative, concerning the facts which have been fully confirmed amongst us, -

it seemed fitting for me as well, [and so I have decided] after having carefully searched out and investigated all the events accurately, from the very beginning, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus;

so that you may know for certain the things you were taught.

But they were childless, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both far advanced in years.

There was a whole crowd of people praying outside because it was the time for burning the incense offering.

And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

There will be joy and delight for you,
and many will rejoice at his birth.

For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

And lo! thou shalt be silent, and not able to speak until the day when these things shall come to pass; because thou didst not believe in my words, - the which shall be fulfilled for their season.

And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.

And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.

Now after this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and for five months she secluded herself completely, saying,

"Thus the Lord has done for me in the days in which he has concerned himself with [me], to take away my disgrace among people."

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

"How can this be?" Mary asked the angel. "For I have no husband."

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for this reason your holy offspring will be called 'the Son of God.'

And behold, your relative Elizabeth--she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren.

For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Later on, Mary set out for a Judean city in the hill country.

And it came to pass, when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, that the babe in her womb leaped for joy.

For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

for He hath regarded the low estate of his handmaid:

For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

His help he has given to Israel, his servant, so that he might keep in mind his mercy to Abraham and his seed for ever,