Now after two days it was the Passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread, and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how, [after] arresting him by stealth, they could kill [him].

For they said, "Not at the feast, lest there be an uproar by 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.

She has done what she could; {she has anointed my body beforehand} for burial.

And truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.

And on the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, "Where do you want us to go [and] prepare, so that you can eat the Passover?"

and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?" '

And the disciples went out and came into the city and found [everything] just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

And [when it] was evening, he arrived with the twelve.

And [while] they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, that one of you who is eating with me will betray me."

But he said to them, "[It is] one of the twelve--the one who is dipping [bread] into the bowl with me.

For the Son of Man is going just as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! [It would be] better for him if that man had not been born."

And [while] they were eating, he took bread [and], [after] giving thanks, he broke [it] and gave [it] to them and said, "Take [it], this is my body."

And [after] taking the cup [and] giving thanks, he gave [it] to them, and they all drank from it.

And he said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many.

Truly I say to you that I will never drink of the fruit of the vine any longer until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

And [after they] had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, because it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.'

But he kept saying emphatically, "If it is necessary for me to die with you, I will never deny you!" And they all were saying the same [thing] also.

And going forward a little he fell to the ground and began to pray that, if it were possible, the hour would pass from him.

And he said, "Abba, Father, all [things] [are] possible for you! Take away this cup from me! Yet not what I will, but what you [will]."

And again he came [and] found them sleeping, {for they could not keep their eyes open}, and they did not know what to reply to him.

And he came the third [time] and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come. Behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

And Jesus answered [and] said to them, "Have you come out with swords and clubs, as against a robber, to arrest me?

Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death, and they did not find [it].

And the high priest stood up in the midst [of them] [and] asked Jesus, saying, "Do you not reply anything? What are these [people] testifying against you?"

And Jesus said, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven."

And the high priest tore his clothes [and] said, "What further need do we have of witnesses?

You have heard the blasphemy! What {do you think}?" And they all condemned him {as deserving death}.

And [when] she saw Peter warming himself, she looked intently at him [and] said, "You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus."

But he denied [it], saying, "I neither know nor understand what you mean!" And he went out into the gateway, and a rooster crowed.

But he denied [it] again. And after a little [while], again the bystanders began to say to Peter, "You really are [one] of them, because you also are a Galilean, and your accent {shows it}!"

Now at each feast he customarily released for them one prisoner whom they requested.

So Pilate answered [and] said to them again, "Then what do you want me to do with [the one] whom you call the king of the Jews?"

And Pilate said to them, "Why? What evil has he done?" But they shouted even louder, "Crucify him!"

And they put a purple cloak on him, and [after] weaving a crown of thorns they placed [it] on him.

And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him, and they led him out so that they could crucify him.

And they attempted to give him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.

And they crucified him and divided his clothes among themselves [by] casting lots for them [to see] who should take what.

Now it was the third hour when they crucified him.

And those who passed by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying, "Aha! The one who would destroy the temple and rebuild [it] in three days,

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" (which is translated, "My God, my God, {why} have you forsaken me?")

And some of the bystanders, [when they] heard [it], said, "Behold, he is summoning Elijah!"

And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put [it] on a reed, [and] gave [it] to him to drink, saying, "Leave [him] alone! Let us see if Elijah is coming to take him down."

And [when it] was already evening, since it was the day of preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath),

And [when he] learned of [it] from the centurion, he granted the corpse to Joseph.

And [when they] looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away (for it was very large).

And [as they] were going into the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

And they went out [and] fled from the tomb, because trembling and amazement had seized them. And they said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

She went out [and] announced [it] to those who were with him [while they] were mourning and weeping.

And those, [when they] heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, refused to believe [it].

And after these [things], he appeared in a different form to two of them [as they] were walking, [while they] were going out into the countryside.

And these went [and] reported [it] to the others, and they did not believe them.

And later, [while] they were reclining at table, he appeared to the eleven. And he reprimanded their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen him [after he] had been raised.

they will pick up snakes. And if they drink any deadly [poison] it will never hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick and {they will get} well."

Then the Lord Jesus, after [he] had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

And they went out [and] proclaimed everywhere, [while] the Lord was working together with [them] and confirming the message through the accompanying signs.]]

it seemed best to me also--[because I] have followed all [things] carefully from the beginning--to write [them] down in orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus,

It happened that in the days of Herod, king of Judea, [there was] a certain priest, Zechariah by name, of the division of Abijah. And {he had a wife} from the daughters of Aaron, and her name [was] Elizabeth.

And it happened that [while] he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division,

And the whole crowd of the people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering.

And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.

And {you will experience joy and exultation}, and many will rejoice at his birth.

And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced {in years}!"

And [when he] came out he was not able to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them, and remained unable to speak.

And it happened that when the days of his service came to an end, he went away to his home.

But she was greatly perplexed at the statement, and was pondering what sort of greeting this might be.

So Mary said, "Behold, the Lord's female slave! May it happen to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Now in those days Mary set out [and] traveled with haste into the hill country, to a town of Judah,

And it happened that when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby in her womb leaped and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

And she cried out with a loud shout and said, "Blessed [are] you among women, and blessed [is] the fruit of your womb!

And blessed [is] she who believed that [there] will be a fulfillment to what was spoken to her from the Lord!"

And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were wanting to name him {after} his father Zechariah.

So they made signs to his father [asking] what he wanted him to be named,

And all those who heard kept [these things] in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be? For indeed the hand of the Lord was with him!"

Now it happened that in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus to register all the empire.

And it happened that while they were there, {the time came} for her to give birth.

And there were shepherds in the same region, living out of doors and keeping watch, guarding over their flock by night.

And it happened that when the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds began to say to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has revealed to us!"

And [when they] saw [it], they made known the statement that had been told to them about this child.

And all who heard [it] were astonished concerning what had been said to them by the shepherds.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

And when eight days were completed {so that he could be circumcised}, he was named Jesus, his name [that] [he] was called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

(just as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb will be called holy to the Lord")

and to offer a sacrifice according to what was stated in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."

And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit [that he would] not see death before he would see the Lord's Christ.

And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus so that they could do for him according to what was customary under the law,

And his father and mother were astonished at what was said about him.

and herself [as] a widow up to eighty-four years) who did not depart from the temple with fastings and prayers, serving night and day.

And at [that] same hour she approached [and] began to give thanks to God, and to speak about him to all those who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

And [after] the days were completed, while they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. And his parents did not know [it],

And it happened that after three days they found him in the temple [courts], sitting in the midst of the teachers and listening to them and asking them [questions].

And all who heard him were amazed at his insight and [his] answers.

And he said to them, "{Why} were you searching for me? Did you not know that it was necessary [for] me to be in the [house] of my Father?"

as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight!

Therefore he was saying to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

And even now the ax is positioned at the root of the trees; therefore every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

And the crowds were asking him, saying, "What then should we do?"

And tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher, what should we do?"

And he said to them, "Collect no more than {what you are ordered to}."