false prophets will rise up and give out* signs and wonders to 23 seduce, if possible, even the chosen ones. But be upon your 24 guard. Lo! I have foretold you all things. But in those days,

after that distress, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will 25 withhold her splendour, and the stars of heaven will continue

falling, and the powers which are in the heavens will be shak26 en. And then they shall see the son of man coming in clouds 27 with great power and glory. And then he will send his messengers and gather his chosen ones from the four windsfrom the remotest part of the earth to the remotest part of heaven.

28

Now learn this parable from that fig tree: when its branch becometh tender and putteth forth leaves, you know that the 29 summer is near. So when you see these things happen, know 30 that he is near, at the door. Verily I say to you, This genera

tion shall not pass away until all these things are accomplish31 ed. The heaven and the earth will fail, but my words shall not 32 fail. But with respect to the day, and the season, that none

knoweth-neither the angels who are in heaven, nor the son33 none but the father. Look, watch and pray; for you do not 34 know when the time is. As when a man was going to travel,

on leaving his family and assigning to his servants their 35 charge, even to every one his work, he commanded the porter to watch; watch ye therefore; for you do not know when the master of the family cometh; whether in the evening, or at 36 midnight, or at cockcrowing, or in the morning, lest coming unexpectedly, he find you asleep. Now what I say to you, I say to all, Watch.

XIV.

Now after two days was the passover, and the festival of unleavened bread. And the chief priests, and the Scribes were contriving how they might seize him by surprise, and 2 put him to death. And they said, Not at the festival; lest there 3 be a tumult among the people. And he being at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, while he was at table a woman came with an alabaster phial of balsam-of pure unadulterat4 ed spikenard, which is very costly, and shaking the phial, she

poured out of it on his head. At which some expressed indig5 nation, saying, Why is this waste of the balsam? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred deniars, and 6 given to the poor. And as they were restraining her, Jesus said, Let her alone. Why do ye trouble her? She hath done a 7 good work for me. For you have the poor always with you, 8 and can, when you please, do them good; but me you have not always. She hath done what she could. She hath come 9 beforehand to anoint my body for its embalment. Verily I say to you, In whatever quarter of the world these glad tidings are proclaimed, what this woman hath done will be mentioned to her honour.

10

Upon this, Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the 11 chief priests, in order to deliver him up to them. And when they heard, they rejoiced exceedingly, and promised to give him money. So he sought a favourable opportunity to deliver him up.

12

And on the first day of the festival of unleavened bread, the day when the paschal lamb was to be killed, his disciples said to him, Where wouldst thou have us go and prepare for 13 thine eating the paschal lamb. Thereupon he despatched two

of his disciples, saying to them, Go to the city, and you will 14 meet a man carrying á pitcher of water; follow him. And

wherever he shall enter, say to the master of the house, The teacher saith, Where is the dining room in which I may eat 15 the passover with my disciples? And he will shew you a large upper room, ready furnished. Make preparation for us there. 16 So the disciples went, and came to the city, and found as he 17 had told them, and prepared the passover. And in the evening 18 he cometh with the twelve. And as they were at table, and

eating, Jesus said, Verily I say to you, One of you, who is 19 eating with me, is to deliver me up. At this they began to be 20 sorrowful, and to say severally-one, Am I? And another,

Am I? And he answering, said to them, It is one of the 21 twelve who is dipping with me in the dish. The son of man departeth indeed as it is written of him, but alas for that man,

*See Matt. 18. 28.

by whom the son of man is delivered up. Good were it for 22 that man, if he had never been born. And, as they were eating, Je

sus having taken a loaf and pronounced a blessing, broke and gave to his disciples, and said, Take; eat; this is my body. 23 Then having taken the cup, and given thanks, he gave to them 24 and they all drank of it. Then he said to them, This is my 25 blood-that of the new covenant-that shed for many. Veri

26

ly I say to you, I will no more drink of the product of the vine, until the day when I shall drink it new in the kingdom of God.

And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the 27 mount of olives. And Jesus saith to them, This night you will all be stumbled at me. For it is written, "I will smite the 28 shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.*" But after I am 29 risen, I will go before you to Galilee. Hereupon Peter said to 30 him, Though all should be stumbled, I will not. Jesus saith

to him, Verily I say to thee, This very night before a cock 31 crow twice, thou wilt three times deny me. But he with more vehemence said, Though I should die with thee, I will not deny thee. And all the rest said the same.

32

Then they come to a place called Gethsemane, and he saith 33 to his disciples, Stay here, till I pray. Then he taketh with him

Peter, and James and John, and being seized with agonizing 34 horror and distress of mind, he saith to them, My soul is ex35 ceeding sorrowful even to death. Stay here and watch. Then having advanced a little further, he prostrated himself on the ground, and prayed, that if it were possible this hour might from him. And he said, Abba, father, all things are possible to thee. Take away this cup from me. Nevertheless not 37 my will, but thine be done. Then he cometh and findeth them asleep, and saith to Peter, Simon, art thou asleep? Couldst 38 thou not watch one hour? Watch and pray, that you may not

36 pass

come to a trial. The spirit is indeed willing; but the flesh is 39 weak. Then going away again, he prayed, using the same 40 words. And on returning, he found them again asleep. For their eyes were weighed down, and they did not know what

*Zach. 13. 7.

41 to answer him. Then he cometh the third time, and saith to them, Are you still asleep and taking rest? It is over. The 42 hour is come. Behold the son of man is delivered into the

hands of sinners. Arise and let us go. Lo! he who delivereth 43 me up is at hand. And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, cometh, and with him a great multitude, with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders.

44

Now he, who delivered him up, had given them a signal, saying, The person whom I will kiss, is he: seize him and 45 carry him away securely. So, when he came, having advanced

directly up to Jesus, he saith, Rabbi, Rabbi, and kissed him. 46 Whereupon they laid their hands on him and held him. Then 47 one of them who stood by, having drawn his sword, smote 48 the servant of the chief priest, and cut off his ear. And Jesus addressing them, said, Are you come out as against 49 a robber, with swords and clubs, to take me? I was daily amongst you in the temple, teaching you, and you did not ar50 rest me. But the scriptures must be fulfilled. Then all forsook 51 him, and fled. But a certain youth followed him, having only 52 a sindon wrapped about his naked body; and the young men

་

laid hold on him. Whereupon he let go the Sindon* and fled from them naked.

53 And when they brought Jesus to the chief priest; all the 54 chief priests, and the elders, and the Scribes, assembled with him. Now Peter had followed him, at a distance, quite into the court of the chief priest, and sat there with the attendants, 55 warming himself at the fire. And the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrim sought for evidence against Jesus, to put 56 him to death, but found it not. For many bore false witness 57 against him, but their testimonies did not agree. Then there 58 arose some who falsely testified against him, saying, We

heard him say, I will destroy this temple made with hands, 59 and in three days build another not made with hands. But neither in this did their testimony agree.

60

Then the chief priest, standing up in the midst, asked Je

*See Matt. 27. 59.

sus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? What sayest thou to 61 what these testify against thee? But Jesus was silent, and made

no reply. Then the chief priest interrogated him, and saith 62 to him, Art thou the Christ, the son of the Blessed? There

upon Jesus said, I am. And you shall see the son of man seated on the right hand of that power, and coming with the 63 clouds of heaven. Upon this, the chief priest rent his clothes, 64 and said, What farther need have we of witnesses? You have 65 heard this blasphemy. What think ye? And they all adjudged

him to be liable to death. Then some began to spit upon him, and to cover his face, and buffet him, and say to him, Prophesy: when the attendants smote him on the cheek with their open hands.

66 Now, Peter being in the court below, one of the maid ser67 vants of the chief priest cometh, and seeing Peter warming

himself, having viewed him narrowly, she saith, Thou also 68 wast with Jesus, the Nazarene. Whereupon he denied, say

ing, I do not know, nor do I understand what thou sayst. 69 Then he went out into the portico, and a cock crowed. And

the girl, seeing him again, began to say to the bye-standers, 70 That man is one of them. Hereupon he denied again. And a little while after, they who stood by, said to Peter, Thou art certainly one of them; for thou art a Galilean, and thy speech 71 sheweth it. Upon this, he began with imprecations and oaths 72 to say, I do not know the man of whom you speak. And a cock crowed a second time. Then Peter recollected what Jesus said to him, Before a cock crow twice, thou wilt three times deny me; and covering his head, he wept.

XV. And early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, and the Scribes, even the whole Sanhedrim, having consulted together, bound Jesus, and led him away, and delivered 2 him up to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, Thou art the king of 3 the Jews? And he in reply, said to him, It is as thou sayst.

Then the chief priests accused him of many things; but he 4 made no answer. Then Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? Observe how many things they testify 5 against thee. But Jesus still made no reply, so that Pilate was astonished.

6

Now at every festival he released to them any one prison