Night Watch Devotion

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
¹ Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
² Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!
³ For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.
⁵ Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
⁶ Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
⁹ Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
¹¹ Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.
¹⁴ Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
¹⁵ O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶ For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
¹⁸ Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem;
¹⁹ then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar. (ESV)

A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering.
¹ O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath!
² For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me.
³ There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin.
⁴ For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.
⁵ My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness,
⁶ I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning.
⁷ For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh.
⁸ I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart.
⁹ O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you.
¹⁰ My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.
¹¹ My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off.
¹² Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long.
¹³ But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth.
¹⁴ I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes.
¹⁵ But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.
¹⁶ For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!”
¹⁷ For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me.
¹⁸ I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin.
¹⁹ But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully.
²⁰ Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow after good.
²¹ Do not forsake me, O LORD! O my God, be not far from me!
²² Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation! (ESV)

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
¹ The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
² Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
³ There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.
⁴ Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,
⁵ which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
⁶ Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
⁷ The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
⁸ the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
⁹ the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.
¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
¹¹ Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
¹² Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
¹³ Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.
¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
¹ May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
² May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion!
³ May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah
⁴ May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans!
⁵ May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the LORD fulfill all your petitions!
⁶ Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand.
⁷ Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
⁸ They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright.
⁹ O LORD, save the king! May he answer us when we call.

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
¹ O LORD, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults!
² You have given him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
³ For you meet him with rich blessings; you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
⁴ He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever.
⁵ His glory is great through your salvation; splendor and majesty you bestow on him.
⁶ For you make him most blessed forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
⁷ For the king trusts in the LORD, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.
⁸ Your hand will find out all your enemies; your right hand will find out those who hate you.
⁹ You will make them as a blazing oven when you appear. The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath, and fire will consume them.
¹⁰ You will destroy their descendants from the earth, and their offspring from among the children of man.
¹¹ Though they plan evil against you, though they devise mischief, they will not succeed.
¹² For you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bows.
¹³ Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power. (ESV)

¹⁴ for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (ESV)

¹ Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
² “If one ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? Yet who can keep from speaking?
³ Behold, you have instructed many, and you have strengthened the weak hands.
⁴ Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, and you have made firm the feeble knees.
⁵ But now it has come to you, and you are impatient; it touches you, and you are dismayed.
⁶ Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?
⁷ “Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off?
⁸ As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.
⁹ By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.
¹⁰ The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion, the teeth of the young lions are broken.
¹¹ The strong lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
¹² “Now a word was brought to me stealthily; my ear received the whisper of it.
¹³ Amid thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men,
¹⁴ dread came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake.
¹⁵ A spirit glided past my face; the hair of my flesh stood up.
¹⁶ It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice:
¹⁷ ‘Can mortal man be in the right before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker?
¹⁸ Even in his servants he puts no trust, and his angels he charges with error;
¹⁹ how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like the moth.
²⁰ Between morning and evening they are beaten to pieces; they perish forever without anyone regarding it.
²¹ Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them, do they not die, and that without wisdom?’ (ESV)

¹ On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
² Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples.
³ When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”
⁴ And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”
⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
⁶ Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.
⁷ Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.
⁸ And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it.
⁹ When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom
¹⁰ and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”
¹¹ This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
¹² After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days. (ESV)

³ Then Job answered the LORD and said:
⁴ “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth.
⁵ I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further.”
⁶ Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
⁷ “Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.
⁸ Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be in the right?
⁹ Have you an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like his?
¹⁰ “Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity; clothe yourself with glory and splendor.
¹¹ Pour out the overflowings of your anger, and look on everyone who is proud and abase him.
¹² Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low and tread down the wicked where they stand.
¹³ Hide them all in the dust together; bind their faces in the world below.
¹⁴ Then will I also acknowledge to you that your own right hand can save you.
¹⁵ “Behold, Behemoth, which I made as I made you; he eats grass like an ox.
¹⁶ Behold, his strength in his loins, and his power in the muscles of his belly.
¹⁷ He makes his tail stiff like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are knit together.
¹⁸ His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs like bars of iron.
¹⁹ “He is the first of the works of God; let him who made him bring near his sword!
²⁰ For the mountains yield food for him where all the wild beasts play.
²¹ Under the lotus plants he lies, in the shelter of the reeds and in the marsh.
²² For his shade the lotus trees cover him; the willows of the brook surround him.
²³ Behold, if the river is turbulent he is not frightened; he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mouth.
²⁴ Can one take him by his eyes, or pierce his nose with a snare?

¹ “Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook or press down his tongue with a cord?
² Can you put a rope in his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook?
³ Will he make many pleas to you? Will he speak to you soft words?
⁴ Will he make a covenant with you to take him for your servant forever?
⁵ Will you play with him as with a bird, or will you put him on a leash for your girls?
⁶ Will traders bargain over him? Will they divide him up among the merchants?
⁷ Can you fill his skin with harpoons or his head with fishing spears?
⁸ Lay your hands on him; remember the battle—you will not do it again!
⁹ Behold, the hope of a man is false; he is laid low even at the sight of him.
¹⁰ No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me?
¹¹ Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.
¹² “I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, or his mighty strength, or his goodly frame.
¹³ Who can strip off his outer garment? Who would come near him with a bridle?
¹⁴ Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror.
¹⁵ His back is made of rows of shields, shut up closely as with a seal.
¹⁶ One is so near to another that no air can come between them.
¹⁷ They are joined one to another; they clasp each other and cannot be separated.
¹⁸ His sneezings flash forth light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn.
¹⁹ Out of his mouth go flaming torches; sparks of fire leap forth.
²⁰ Out of his nostrils comes forth smoke, as from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
²¹ His breath kindles coals, and a flame comes forth from his mouth.
²² In his neck abides strength, and terror dances before him.
²³ The folds of his flesh stick together, firmly cast on him and immovable.
²⁴ His heart is hard as a stone, hard as the lower millstone.
²⁵ When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid; at the crashing they are beside themselves.
²⁶ Though the sword reaches him, it does not avail, nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin.
²⁷ He counts iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood.
²⁸ The arrow cannot make him flee; for him, sling stones are turned to stubble.
²⁹ Clubs are counted as stubble; he laughs at the rattle of javelins.
³⁰ His underparts are like sharp potsherds; he spreads himself like a threshing sledge on the mire.
³¹ He makes the deep boil like a pot; he makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
³² Behind him he leaves a shining wake; one would think the deep to be white-haired.
³³ On earth there is not his like, a creature without fear.
³⁴ He sees everything that is high; he is king over all the sons of pride.”

¹ Then Job answered the LORD and said:
² “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
³ ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
⁴ ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
⁵ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you;
⁶ therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
⁷ After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.
⁸ Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.”
⁹ So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the LORD had told them, and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer.
¹⁰ And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
¹¹ Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold.
¹² And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.
¹³ He had also seven sons and three daughters.
¹⁴ And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch.
¹⁵ And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job’s daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.
¹⁶ And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, four generations.
¹⁷ And Job died, an old man, and full of days. (ESV)

¹⁴ “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.
¹⁵ To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
¹⁶ He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.
¹⁷ So also he who had the two talents made two talents more.
¹⁸ But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.
¹⁹ Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
²⁰ And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’
²¹ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
²² And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’
²³ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
²⁴ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed,
²⁵ so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’
²⁶ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?
²⁷ Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.
²⁸ So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.
²⁹ For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
³⁰ And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
³² Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
³³ And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.
³⁴ Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’
³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
³⁸ And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
³⁹ And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
⁴⁰ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’
⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’
⁴⁶ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (ESV)

⁴³ You delivered me from strife with the people; you made me the head of the nations; people whom I had not known served me.
⁴⁴ As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me; foreigners came cringing to me.
⁴⁵ Foreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their fortresses.
⁴⁶ The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation—
⁴⁷ the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me,
⁴⁸ who rescued me from my enemies; yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me; you delivered me from the man of violence.
⁴⁹ For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing to your name.
⁵⁰ Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever. (ESV)

¹ “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.
² Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
³ For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them,
⁴ but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.
⁵ As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.
⁶ But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’
⁷ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.
⁸ And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’
⁹ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’
¹⁰ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.
¹¹ Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’
¹² But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
¹³ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
¹⁴ “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.
¹⁵ To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
¹⁶ He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.
¹⁷ So also he who had the two talents made two talents more.
¹⁸ But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.
¹⁹ Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
²⁰ And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’
²¹ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
²² And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’
²³ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
²⁴ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed,
²⁵ so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’
²⁶ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?
²⁷ Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.
²⁸ So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.
²⁹ For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
³⁰ And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
³² Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
³³ And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.
³⁴ Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’
³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
³⁸ And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
³⁹ And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
⁴⁰ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’
⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’
⁴⁶ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

¹ When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples,
² “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”
³ Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,
⁴ and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.
⁵ But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”
⁶ Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,
⁷ a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table.
⁸ And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste?
⁹ For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.”
¹⁰ But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me.
¹¹ For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.
¹² In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial.
¹³ Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
¹⁴ Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
¹⁵ and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver.
¹⁶ And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.
¹⁷ Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?”
¹⁸ He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’”
¹⁹ And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
²⁰ When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve.
²¹ And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”
²² And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?”
²³ He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me.
²⁴ The Son of Man goes 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.”
²⁵ Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”
²⁶ Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”
²⁷ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you,
²⁸ for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
²⁹ I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
³⁰ And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
³¹ Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
³² But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”
³³ Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.”
³⁴ Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”
³⁵ Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.
³⁶ Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.”
³⁷ And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.
³⁸ Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”
³⁹ And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
⁴⁰ And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour?
⁴¹ Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
⁴² Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”
⁴³ And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.
⁴⁴ So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.
⁴⁵ Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
⁴⁶ Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
⁴⁷ While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people.
⁴⁸ Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.”
⁴⁹ And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him.
⁵⁰ Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him.
⁵¹ And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
⁵² Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
⁵³ Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?
⁵⁴ But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”
⁵⁵ At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me.
⁵⁶ But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.
⁵⁷ Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered.
⁵⁸ And Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end.
⁵⁹ Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death,
⁶⁰ but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward
⁶¹ and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’”
⁶² And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?”
⁶³ But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
⁶⁴ Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy.
⁶⁶ What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.”
⁶⁷ Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him,
⁶⁸ saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”
⁶⁹ Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.”
⁷⁰ But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.”
⁷¹ And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
⁷² And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.”
⁷³ After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.”
⁷⁴ Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed.
⁷⁵ And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

¹ When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.
² And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.
³ Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders,
⁴ saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.”
⁵ And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.
⁶ But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.”
⁷ So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers.
⁸ Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
⁹ Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel,
¹⁰ and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.”
¹¹ Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.”
¹² But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer.
¹³ Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?”
¹⁴ But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
¹⁵ Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted.
¹⁶ And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.
¹⁷ So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”
¹⁸ For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.
¹⁹ Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.”
²⁰ Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.
²¹ The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.”
²² Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!”
²³ And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”
²⁴ So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.”
²⁵ And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”
²⁶ Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.
²⁷ Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him.
²⁸ And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,
²⁹ and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
³⁰ And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head.
³¹ And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
³² As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross.
³³ And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull),
³⁴ they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.
³⁵ And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots.
³⁶ Then they sat down and kept watch over him there.
³⁷ And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”
³⁸ Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.
³⁹ And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads
⁴⁰ and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
⁴¹ So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying,
⁴² “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.
⁴³ He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
⁴⁴ And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
⁴⁵ Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.
⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
⁴⁷ And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.”
⁴⁸ And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink.
⁴⁹ But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”
⁵⁰ And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
⁵¹ And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.
⁵² The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,
⁵³ and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
⁵⁴ When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
⁵⁵ There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him,
⁵⁶ among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
⁵⁷ When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus.
⁵⁸ He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him.
⁵⁹ And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud
⁶⁰ and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away.
⁶¹ Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
⁶² The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate
⁶³ and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’
⁶⁴ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.”
⁶⁵ Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.”
⁶⁶ So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

¹ Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.
² And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.
³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.
⁴ And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.
⁵ But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
⁶ He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.”
⁸ So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
⁹ And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.
¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
¹¹ While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place.
¹² And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers
¹³ and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’
¹⁴ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”
¹⁵ So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.
¹⁶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.
¹⁷ And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.
¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (ESV)