THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW

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

Chapter 26

(Mat 26:1) And it came to pass, when Jesus had concluded all these discourses, that he said to his disciples:

(Mat 26:2) Ye know that after two days is the Passover; and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.

(Mat 26:3) Then assembled the chief priests and the Scribes and the Elders of the people, at the hall of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas.

(Mat 26:4) And they held a counsel against Jesus, that they might take him by guile, and kill him.

(Mat 26:5) But they said: Not on the festival, lest there be a commotion among the people.

(Mat 26:6) And when Jesus was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,

(Mat 26:7) there came to him a woman having a vase of aromatic ointment very precious, and she poured it on the head of Jesus as he was reclining.

(Mat 26:8) And when his disciples saw [it] they were displeased, and said: Why is this waste?

(Mat 26:9) For this [ointment] might have been sold for much, and have been given to the poor.

(Mat 26:10) But Jesus knew [their dissatisfaction], and said to them: Why trouble ye the woman? She hath performed a good deed towards me.

(Mat 26:11) For the poor ye have at all times with you; but I am not with you always

(Mat 26:12) And this her act, pouring the ointment on my body, she hath done as it were for my burial.

(Mat 26:13) Verily I say to you, That wherever this my gospel shall be proclaimed, in all the world, this thing that she hath done shall be told for a memorial of her.

(Mat 26:14) Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests,

(Mat 26:15) and said to them: What will ye give me, if I will deliver him to you? And they promised him thirty pieces of silver.

(Mat 26:16) And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

(Mat 26:17) And on the first day of unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus, and said to him: Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passover?

(Mat 26:18) And he said to them: Go ye into the city, to such a man, and say to him: Our Rabbi saith, My time approaches: with thee will I keep the Passover with my disciples

(Mat 26:19) And his disciples did as Jesus directed them, and made ready the Passover.

(Mat 26:20) And when it was evening, he reclined with his twelve disciples.

(Mat 26:21) And as they were eating, he said: Verily I say to you, That one of you will betray me.

(Mat 26:22) And it troubled them much. And they began each one of them to say to him; My Lord is it I?

(Mat 26:23) And he answered and said: One that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, he will betray me.

(Mat 26:24) 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. It would have been better for that man, if he had not been born.

(Mat 26:25) Judas the betrayer answered and said: Rabbi, is it I? Jesus said to him: Thou hast said.

(Mat 26:26) And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake; and gave to his disciples, and said: Take, eat; this is my body.

(Mat 26:27) And he took the cup, and offered thanks and gave [it] to them, saying: Take, drink of this all of you.

(Mat 26:28) This is my blood of the new testament, which, in behalf of many, is shed for the remission of sins.

(Mat 26:29) But I say to you, that I will henceforth not drink of this product of the vine, until the day in which I shall drink it with you new in the kingdom of God.

(Mat 26:30) And they sang praises, and went forth to the mount of Olives.

(Mat 26:31) Then said Jesus to them: Ye will all be offended in me this night; for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of his flock will be dispersed.

(Mat 26:32) But after I am arisen, I will go before you into Galilee.

(Mat 26:33) Cephas replied, and said to him: Though all men should be offended in thee, I will never be offended in thee.

(Mat 26:34) Jesus said to him: Verily I say to thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou wilt thrice deny me.

(Mat 26:35) Cephas said to him: If I were to die with thee, I would not deny thee: and so also said all the disciples.

(Mat 26:36) Then came Jesus with them to a place called Gethsemane: and he said to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray.

(Mat 26:37) And he took Cephas and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be dejected and sorrowful.

(Mat 26:38) And he said to them: There is anguish in my soul, even unto death. Wait for me here; and watch with me.

(Mat 26:39) And retiring a little, he fell on his face, and prayed, and said: My Father, if it can be so, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I choose, but as thou.

(Mat 26:40) And he came to his disciples, and found them asleep: and he said to Cephas: So! could ye not watch with me one hour?

(Mat 26:41) Wake ye, and pray, lest ye fall into temptation. The mind is prepared, but the body is infirm.

(Mat 26:42) Again he went away the second time, and prayed, and said: My Father, if it cannot be that this cup pass, except I drink it, thy will be done.

(Mat 26:43) And he came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.

(Mat 26:44) And he left them, and went again and prayed the third time, and used the same language.

(Mat 26:45) Then he came to his disciples, and said to them: Sleep on now, and take rest. Behold, the hour is come: and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

(Mat 26:46) Arise, let us go. Behold, he that betrayeth me hath come.

(Mat 26:47) And while he was yet speaking, lo, Judas the betrayer, one of the twelve, arrived; and a great multitude with him, with swords and clubs, from the presence of the chief priests and elders of the people.

(Mat 26:48) And Judas the betrayer had given them a sign, saying: He it is, whom I shall kiss: him seize ye.

(Mat 26:49) And forthwith he approached Jesus, and said: Hail, Rabbi; and kissed him.

(Mat 26:50) And Jesus said to him: My friend, is it for this thou hast come? Then they came up, and laid their hands on Jesus, and took him.

(Mat 26:51) And lo, one of them with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

(Mat 26:52) Then Jesus said to him: Return the sword to its place; for all they that take swords, shall die by swords.

(Mat 26:53) Supposest thou that I cannot ask of my Father, and he now assign me more than twelve legions of angels?

(Mat 26:54) But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?

(Mat 26:55) At that time Jesus said to the multitude: Have ye come out, as against a cut-throat, with swords and clubs, to take me? I daily sat with you, and taught in the temple, and ye did not apprehend me.

(Mat 26:56) And this occurred, that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then the disciples all forsook him and fled.

(Mat 26:57) And they who apprehended Jesus carried him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the Scribes and Elders were assembled.

(Mat 26:58) And Simon Cephas followed after him at a distance, unto the high priest's hall, and entered, and sat with the servants within, that he might see the issue.

(Mat 26:59) And the chief priests and the Elders and the whole assembly sought for witnesses against Jesus, that they might put him to death;

(Mat 26:60) and found them not. And many false witnesses came; and at last, two came forward,

(Mat 26:61) and said: This man said, I can destroy the temple of God, and in three days rebuild it.

(Mat 26:62) And the high priest rose up and said to him: Respondest thou nothing? What do these testify against thee?

(Mat 26:63) And Jesus was silent. And the high priest answered, and said to him: I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou art the Messiah, the Son of God.

(Mat 26:64) Jesus saith to him: Thou hast said. And I say to you, That hereafter ye will see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.

(Mat 26:65) Then the high priest rent his clothes, and said: Behold, he hath blasphemed! Why therefore should we seek for witnesses? Behold, ye have now heard his blasphemy.

(Mat 26:66) What is your pleasure? They answered and said: He is liable to death.

(Mat 26:67) Then they spit in his face, and buffeted him, and others smote him,

(Mat 26:68) and said to him: Prophesy to us, thou Messiah, who is it smote thee?

(Mat 26:69) And Cephas was sitting without in the hall, and a certain maid approached him, and said to him: Thou also wast with Jesus the Nazarean.

(Mat 26:70) But he denied [it] before them all, and said: I know not what thou sayest.

(Mat 26:71) And as he went out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said to them: This man was also there with Jesus the Nazarean.

(Mat 26:72) And again he denied, with oaths: I know not that man.

(Mat 26:73) And a little after, those standing [there] came up and said to Cephas: Certainly, thou too art one of them; and thy speech maketh thee manifest.

(Mat 26:74) Then he began to imprecate and to swear, I know not that man. And in that hour the cock crew.

(Mat 26:75) And Cephas remembered the declaration of Jesus, who said to him: Before the cock croweth, thou wilt three times deny me. And he went out, and wept bitterly.