Matthew 26:28-44

26:28 for this is my blood, the blood ¹  of the covenant, ²  that is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 26:29 I ³  tell you, from now on I will not drink of this fruit ⁴  of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” 26:30 After ⁵  singing a hymn, ⁶  they went out to the Mount of Olives.

The Prediction of Peter’s Denial

26:31 Then Jesus said to them, “This night you will all fall away because of me, for it is written:

‘I will strike the shepherd,

and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ ⁷ 

26:32 But after I am raised, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” 26:33 Peter ⁸  said to him, “If they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away!” 26:34 Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, ⁹  on this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” 26:35 Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will never deny you.” And all the disciples said the same thing.

Gethsemane

26:36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 26:37 He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and became anguished and distressed. 26:38 Then he said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake with me.” 26:39 Going a little farther, he threw himself down with his face to the ground and prayed, ¹⁰  “My Father, if possible, ¹¹  let this cup ¹²  pass from me! Yet not what I will, but what you will.” 26:40 Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He ¹³  said to Peter, “So, couldn’t you stay awake with me for one hour? 26:41 Stay awake and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 26:42 He went away a second time and prayed, ¹⁴  “My Father, if this cup ¹⁵  cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will must be done.” 26:43 He came again and found them sleeping; they could not keep their eyes open. ¹⁶  26:44 So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same thing once more.

[26:28]  ¹ tn Grk “for this is my blood of the covenant that is poured out for many.” In order to avoid confusion about which is poured out, the translation supplies “blood” twice so that the following phrase clearly modifies “blood,” not “covenant.”

[26:28]  ² tc Although most witnesses read καινῆς (kainhs, “new”) here, this is evidently motivated by the parallel in Luke 22:20. Apart from the possibility of homoioteleuton, there is no good reason for the shorter reading to have arisen later on. But since it is found in such good and diverse witnesses (e.g., Ì^37,45vid א B L Z Θ 0298^vid 33 pc mae), the likelihood of homoioteleuton becomes rather remote.

[26:29]  ³ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[26:29]  ⁴ tn Grk “produce” (“the produce of the vine” is a figurative expression for wine).

[26:30]  ⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[26:30]  ⁶ sn After singing a hymn. The Hallel Psalms (Pss 113-118) were sung during the meal. Psalms 113 and 114 were sung just before the second cup and 115-118 were sung at the end of the meal, after the fourth, or hallel cup.

[26:31]  ⁷ sn A quotation from Zech 13:7.

[26:33]  ⁸ tn Grk “answering, Peter said to him.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[26:34]  ⁹ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[26:39]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “ground, praying and saying.” Here the participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[26:39]  ¹¹ tn Grk “if it is possible.”

[26:39]  ¹² sn This cup alludes to the wrath of God that Jesus would experience (in the form of suffering and death) for us. See Ps 11:6; 75:8-9; Isa 51:17, 19, 22 for this figure.

[26:40]  ¹³ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[26:42]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[26:42]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “this”; the referent (the cup) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:43]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “because their eyes were weighed down,” an idiom for becoming extremely or excessively sleepy (L&N 23.69).