THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK

THE NEW TESTAMENT
TRANSLATED FROM
THE SYRIAC PESHITO VERSION BY JAMES MURDOCK

Chapter 14

(Mar 14:1) And after two days, was the passover of unleavened cakes. And the chief priests and the Scribes sought how they might take him by stratagem, and kill him.

(Mar 14:2) But they said: Not on the festival, lest there be commotion among the people.

(Mar 14:3) And when he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he reclined, a woman came having an alabaster box of precious ointment of spikenard, of great price; and she opened and poured upon the head of Jesus.

(Mar 14:4) And there were certain of the disciples, who were dissatisfied among themselves, and said: Why was this waste of the ointment?

(Mar 14:5) For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and been given to the poor. And they were indignant at her.

(Mar 14:6) But Jesus said: Let her alone; why trouble ye her? She hath done an excellent act towards me.

(Mar 14:7) For the poor ye have always with you; and when ye please, ye can do them kind offices: but I am not always with you.

(Mar 14:8) What was in her power, she hath done; and by anticipation, hath perfumed my body, as if for burial.

(Mar 14:9) Verily I say to you, That wherever this my gospel shall be proclaimed, in all the world, this also which she hath done shall be told in memory of her.

(Mar 14:10) And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests, in order to betray Jesus to them.

(Mar 14:11) And when they heard [him], they rejoiced; and they promised to give him money. And he sought for opportunity to betray him.

(Mar 14:12) And on the first day of unleavened cakes, on which the Jews slay the passover, his disciples said to him: Where wilt thou that we go, and prepare for thee to eat the passover?

(Mar 14:13) And he sent two of his disciples, and said to them: Go ye to the city, and behold, there will meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water. Go ye after him,

(Mar 14:14) and where he entereth in, say ye to the lord of the house: Our Rabbi saith, Where is the place of refreshment, in which I may eat the passover with my disciples?

(Mar 14:15) And lo, he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared: there make ready for us.

(Mar 14:16) And his disciples went, and entered the city, and found as he had told them: and they made ready the passover.

(Mar 14:17) And when it was evening, he came with his twelve.

(Mar 14:18) And as they reclined and ate, Jesus said: Verily I say to you, That one of you that eateth with me, will betray me.

(Mar 14:19) And they began to be distressed. And they said to him, one by one, Is it I?

(Mar 14:20) And he said to them: It is one of the twelve that dippeth with me in the dish.

(Mar 14:21) And the Son of man goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man, by whom the Son of man is betrayed. Better would it have been for that man, if he had not been born.

(Mar 14:22) And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake, and gave to them, and said to them: Take; this is my body.

(Mar 14:23) And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and blessed, and gave to them. And they all drank of it.

(Mar 14:24) And he said to them: This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed in behalf of many.

(Mar 14:25) Verily I say to you, That I will not drink again of the product of the vine, until the day in which I shall drink it anew in the kingdom of God.

(Mar 14:26) And they sang praise, and went out to the mount of Olives.

(Mar 14:27) And Jesus said to them: All of you will this night be stumbled in me: for it is written, " I will smite the shepherd, and his sheep will be scattered."

(Mar 14:28) And when I am risen, I will precede you into Galilee.

(Mar 14:29) And Cephas said to him: Though they all should be stumbled, yet I will not be.

(Mar 14:30) Jesus said to him: Verily I say to thee, That this day, on this night, before the cock shall crow twice, thou wilt thrice deny me.

(Mar 14:31) And he said, in addition: If I were to die with thee, I will not deny thee, my Lord. And like him, spake all the disciples.

(Mar 14:32) And they came to the place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I pray.

(Mar 14:33) And he took with him Cephas and James and John, and began to be gloomy and distressed.

(Mar 14:34) And he said to them: My soul hath anguish, even to death. Wait for me here, and be watchful.

(Mar 14:35) And he advanced a little, and fell upon the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.

(Mar 14:36) And he said: Father, my Father, thou canst do all things. Let this cup pass from me. Yet not my pleasure, but thine.

(Mar 14:37) And he came and found them sleeping. And he said to Cephas: Sleepest thou, Simon? Couldst thou not watch with me one hour?

(Mar 14:38) Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit is willing and ready, but the body is weak.

(Mar 14:39) And he went again and prayed, speaking the same language.

(Mar 14:40) And returning he came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. And they knew not what to say to him.

(Mar 14:41) And he came the third time, and said to them: Sleep on now, and take rest. The end is near; the hour is come; and lo, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

(Mar 14:42) Arise ye; let us go. Lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.

(Mar 14:43) And while he was yet speaking, Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, arrived, and much people, with swords and clubs, from before the chief priests and Scribes and Elders.

(Mar 14:44) And the traitor who betrayed [him], had given them a sign, and said: He whom I shall kiss is the man. Seize promptly, and lead him away

(Mar 14:45) And immediately he came up, and said to him: Rabbi, Rabbi; and kissed him.

(Mar 14:46) And they laid hands on him and took him.

(Mar 14:47) And one of them that stood by, drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

(Mar 14:48) And Jesus answered and said to them: Have ye come out against me, as against a robber; with swords and clubs, to apprehend me?

(Mar 14:49) I was daily with you, while I taught in the temple, and ye seized me not. But this occurs, that the scriptures may be fulfilled.

(Mar 14:50) Then his disciples left him and fled.

(Mar 14:51) And a young man followed after him, who was clad with a linen cloth on [his] naked [body]: and they laid hold of him.

(Mar 14:52) And he left the linen cloth, and fled naked.

(Mar 14:53) And they led away Jesus to Caiaphas the high priest. And with him were assembled all the chief priests and the Scribes and the Elders.

(Mar 14:54) And Simon followed after him, at a distance; into the hall of the high priest; and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself by the fire.

(Mar 14:55) And the chief priests and all the assembly sought for testimony against Jesus, to put him to death: but they found it not.

(Mar 14:56) For while many testified against him, their testimonies were inadequate.

(Mar 14:57) And some false witnesses stood up against him, and said:

(Mar 14:58) We have heard him say: I will destroy this temple, which is made with hands; and in three days I will build another not made with hands.

(Mar 14:59) Nor even thus were their testimonies adequate.

(Mar 14:60) And the high priest arose in the midst, and interrogated Jesus and said: Returnest thou no answer? What do these testify against thee?

(Mar 14:61) And Jesus was silent, and made no reply. And again the chief priest interrogated him, and said: Art thou the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed?

(Mar 14:62) And Jesus said to him: I am. And ye will see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and he will come on the clouds of heaven.

(Mar 14:63) And the high priest rent his tunic, and said: What need of witnesses have we, any more?

(Mar 14:64) Behold, from his own mouth ye have heard blasphemy. How doth it appear to you? And they all decided, that he deserved to die.

(Mar 14:65) And some began to spit in his face, and to buffet him, saying: Prophesy thou. And the servants smote him on the cheeks.

(Mar 14:66) And as Simon was below in the court, a maid of the high priest came,

(Mar 14:67) and saw him warming himself; and she looked upon him, and said to him: And thou too wast with Jesus the Nazarean.

(Mar 14:68) But he denied, and said: l know not what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.

(Mar 14:69) And the maid saw him again, and she began to say to those standing by, This man also is one of them.

(Mar 14:70) And he again denied [it]. And a little after, those standing there said again to Cephas: Surely, thou art one of them; for thou art likewise a Galilean, and thy speech answers to it.

(Mar 14:71) And he began to imprecate, and swore: I know not that man, of whom ye speak.

(Mar 14:72) And immediately the cock crew the second time. And Simon remembered the declaration of Jesus, who said to him: Before the cock shall crow twice, thou wilt thrice deny me. And he began to weep.