The first part of the history of the passion of Christ.

[1] Now the feast of the pasch, and of the Azymes was after two days; and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might by some wile lay hold on him, and kill him. [2] But they said: Not on the festival day, lest there should be a tumult among the people. [3] And when he was in Bethania, in the house of Simon the leper, and was at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of precious spikenard: and breaking the alabaster box, she poured it out upon his head. [4] Now there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said: Why was this waste of the ointment made? [5] For this ointment might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and given to the poor. And they murmured against her.

[1] "Azymes": That is, the feast of the unleavened bread.

[6] But Jesus said: Let her alone, why do you molest her? She hath wrought a good work upon me. [7] For the poor you have always with you: and whensoever you will, you may do them good: but me you have not always. [8] She hath done what she could: she is come beforehand to anoint my body for burial. [9] Amen, I say to you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that also which she hath done, shall be told for a memorial of her. [10] And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests, to betray him to them.

[11] Who hearing it were glad; and they promised him they would give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him. [12] Now on the first day of the unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the pasch, the disciples say to him: Whither wilt thou that we go, and prepare for thee to eat the pasch? [13] And he sendeth two of his disciples, and saith to them: Go ye into the city; and there shall meet you a man carrying a pitcher of water, follow him; [14] And whithersoever he shall go in, say to the master of the house, The master saith, Where is my refectory, where I may eat the pasch with my disciples? [15] And he will shew you a large dining room furnished; and there prepare ye for us.

[16] And his disciples went their way, and came into the city; and they found as he had told them, and they prepared the pasch. [17] And when evening was come, he cometh with the twelve. [18] And when they were at table and eating, Jesus saith: Amen I say to you, one of you that eateth with me shall betray me. [19] But they began to be sorrowful, and to say to him one by one: Is it I? [20] Who saith to them: One of the twelve, who dippeth with me his hand in the dish.

[21] And the Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man shall be betrayed. It were better for him, if that man had not been born. [22] And whilst they were eating, Jesus took bread; and blessing, broke, and gave to them, and said: Take ye. This is my body. [23] And having taken the chalice, giving thanks, he gave it to them. And they all drank of it. [24] And he said to them: This is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many. [25] Amen I say to you, that I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I shall drink it new in the kingdom of God.

[26] And when they had said an hymn, they went forth to the mount of Olives. [27] And Jesus saith to them: You will all be scandalized in my regard this night; for it is written, I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep shall be dispersed. [28] But after I shall be risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. [29] But Peter saith to him: Although all shall be scandalized in thee, yet not I. [30] And Jesus saith to him: Amen I say to thee, today, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shall deny me thrice.

[30] "Crow twice": The cocks crow at two different times of the night; viz., about midnight for the first time; and then about the time commonly called the cock crowing; and this was the cock crowing our Saviour spoke of; and therefore the other Evangelists take no notice of the first crowing.

[31] But he spoke the more vehemently: Although I should die together with thee, I will not deny thee. And in like manner also said they all. [32] And they came to a farm called Gethsemani. And he saith to his disciples: Sit you here, while I pray. [33] And he taketh Peter and James and John with him; and he began to fear and to be heavy. [34] And he saith to them: My soul is sorrowful even unto death; stay you here, and watch. [35] And when he was gone forward a little, he fell flat on the ground; and he prayed, that if it might be, the hour might pass from him.

[36] And he saith: Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee: remove this chalice from me; but not what I will, but what thou wilt. [37] And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping. And he saith to Peter: Simon, sleepest thou? couldst thou not watch one hour? [38] Watch ye, and pray that you enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. [39] And going away again, he prayed, saying the same words. [40] And when he returned, he found them again asleep, (for their eyes were heavy,) and they knew not what to answer him.

[41] And he cometh the third time, and saith to them: Sleep ye now, and take your rest. It is enough: the hour is come: behold the Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners. [42] Rise up, let us go. Behold, he that will betray me is at hand. [43] And while he was yet speaking, cometh Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve: and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the ancients. [44] And he that betrayed him, had given them a sign, saying: Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he; lay hold on him, and lead him away carefully. [45] And when he was come, immediately going up to him, he saith: Hail, Rabbi; and he kissed him.

[46] But they laid hands on him, and held him. [47] And one of them that stood by, drawing a sword, struck a servant of the chief priest, and cut off his ear. [48] And Jesus answering, said to them: Are you come out as to a robber, with swords and staves to apprehend me? [49] I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not lay hands on me. But that the scriptures may be fulfilled. [50] Then his disciples leaving him, all fled away.

[51] And a certain young man followed him, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and they laid hold on him. [52] But he, casting off the linen cloth, fled from them naked. [53] And they brought Jesus to the high priest; and all the priests and the scribes and the ancients assembled together. [54] And Peter followed him from afar off, even into the court of the high priest; and he sat with the servants at the fire, and warmed himself. [55] And the chief priests and all the council sought for evidence against Jesus, that they might put him to death, and found none.

[56] For many bore false witness against him, and their evidences were not agreeing. [57] And some rising up, bore false witness against him, saying: [58] We heard him say, I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another not made with hands. [59] And their witness did not agree. [60] And the high priest rising up in the midst, asked Jesus, saying: Answerest thou nothing to the things that are laid to thy charge by these men?

[61] But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said to him: Art thou the Christ the Son of the blessed God? [62] And Jesus said to him: I am. And you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming with the clouds of heaven. [63] Then the high priest rending his garments, saith: What need we any further witnesses? [64] You have heard the blasphemy. What think you? Who all condemned him to be guilty of death. [65] And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him: Prophesy: and the servants struck him with the palms of their hands.

[66] Now when Peter was in the court below, there cometh one of the maidservants of the high priest. [67] And when she had seen Peter warming himself, looking on him she saith: Thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. [68] But he denied, saying: I neither know nor understand what thou sayest. And he went forth before the court; and the cock crew. [69] And again a maidservant seeing him, began to say to the standers by: This is one of them. [70] But he denied again. And after a while they that stood by said again to Peter: Surely thou art one of them; for thou art also a Galilean.

[71] But he began to curse and to swear, saying; I know not this man of whom you speak. [72] And immediately the cock crew again. And Peter remembered the word that Jesus had said unto him: Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt thrice deny me. And he began to weep.