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unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me 41 one hour? Watch and Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, 42 but the flesh is weak. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from 43 me, except I drink it, thy will be done. And

he came and found them asleep again: for 44 their eyes were heavy. And he left them, and

went away again, and prayed the third time, 45 saying the same words. Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the 46 hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.

47

And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves from the chief 48 priests and elders of the people. Now he that betrayed him, gave them asign, saying, Whomsover I shall kiss, that same is he hold him 49 fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and 50 said, Hail, Master; and kissed him. And Je

sus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they and laid hands on 51 Jesus, and took him. And behold, one of them which were with Jesus, stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant 52 of a high priest's, and smote off his ear. Then

*

Sleep afterward, as is plain from the next verse, "Rise. let us be going," &e.-or better perhaps, "Do ye still sleep "

said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place for all they that take the sword 53 shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve le54 gions of angels? But how then shall the scrip55 tures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? İn the same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on 56 me. But all this was done, that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.*

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And they who had laid hold on Jesus, led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58 But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in and sat with the 59 servants to see the end. Now the chief priests and elders, and all the council sought false 60 witness against Jesus to put him to death; but found none; yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came 61 two false witnesses, and said, This person said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, 62 and to build it in three days. And the high priest arose and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? What is it which these witness against

*The disciples of Christ had hitherto considered him as a national deliverer. When they saw him in the hands of his enemies and without power, they seem to have abandoned his cause.

63 thee? But Jesus held his peace.

And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us, whether thou be the Christ, the Son of 64 God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said the truth: I am. Moreover I say unto you, hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the 65 clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy: what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. 66 What think ye? They answered and said, He 67 is guilty of death. Then they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with 68 the palms of their hands, saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, who is he that smote thee?

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Now Peter sat without in the palace and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also 70 wast with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied

before them all, saying, I know not what thou 71 sayest. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This man was also with 72 Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with 73 an oath, I do not know the man. And after some time, they who stood by, came to him, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of 74 them; for thy speech betrayeth thee.* Then he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know

• Galilee was a distance from Jerusalem; and the pronunciation was probably very different.

75 not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the words of Jesus, who said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

1

CHAP. XXVII.

WHEN the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. 2 And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor.

3 Then Judas, who had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of 4 silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned, in that I have betrayed the inno cent blood. And they said, What is that to 5 us? see thou to that. And he cast down the • pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, 6 and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, be7 cause it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's 8 field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this

* This confession of Judas is very important, as it shews and is the conviction of Christ's innocence. He lamented. his own treachery, and bore testimony in favor of Jesus.

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9 day. (Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy† the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the 10 children of Israel did value; and gave them for the potters' field, as the Lord appointed 11 me.) Now Jesus stood before the governor : and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto 12 him, Thou sayest. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he an13 swered nothing. Then saith Pilate unto him,

Hearest thou not how many things they wit14 ness againt thee? And he answered him

not a word, insomuch that the governor 15 marvelled greatly. Now at that feast, the

governor was wont to release unto the people 16 a prisoner, whom they chose. And they had

then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. 17 Therefore, when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus who 18 is called Christ? (For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.)||

* That is, at the time Matthew wrote this gospel. † Zachariah iv. 12, 13.

That is, thou sayest the truth.

There was a tradition among the Christians in the early ages of the church, that the other prisoner was named Jesus, the son of Abbas-Bar meaning son.

|| What Pilate says here, is worthy remark. We see it was not because they thought that Christ was the enemy of Caesar, or that he would lead the people to sedition and rebellion, that they conspired his death, but through envy and malice.

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