It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and kill him.

过两天是逾越节，又是除酵节，祭司长和文士想法子怎么用诡计捉拿耶稣，杀他。

过两天是逾越节，又是除酵节，祭司长和文士在想法子怎样设计捉拿耶稣，把他杀掉。

过两天是逾越节，又是除酵节，祭司长和文士在想法子怎样设计捉拿耶稣，把他杀掉。

再过两天就是逾越节和除酵节，祭司长和律法教师正暗暗地找机会拘捕、杀害耶稣。

过两天，就是逾越节和除酵节了，祭司长和经学家设法怎样用诡计逮捕耶稣，把他杀害。他们说：“不可在节期下手，免得引起民众暴动。”

过两天就是逾越节和除酵节了。祭司长们和经文士们在图谋怎样用诡计拘捕耶稣，把他杀掉。

過兩天是逾越節，又是除酵節，祭司長和文士想法子怎麼用詭計捉拿耶穌，殺他。

過兩天是逾越節，又是除酵節，祭司長和文士在想法子怎樣設計捉拿耶穌，把他殺掉。

過兩天是逾越節，又是除酵節，祭司長和文士在想法子怎樣設計捉拿耶穌，把他殺掉。

再過兩天就是逾越節和除酵節，祭司長和律法教師正暗暗地找機會拘捕、殺害耶穌。

過兩天，就是逾越節和除酵節了，祭司長和經學家設法怎樣用詭計逮捕耶穌，把他殺害。他們說：“不可在節期下手，免得引起民眾暴動。”

過兩天就是逾越節和除酵節了；祭司長和經學士直想法子要怎樣用詭詐抓住耶穌，來殺他。

過兩天就是逾越節和除酵節了。祭司長們和經文士們在圖謀怎樣用詭計拘捕耶穌，把他殺掉。

越二日、乃逾越節、即除酵節也、祭司諸長、士子、謀以詭計執耶穌而殺之、

越二日、逾越節中、際除酵節、祭司諸長、士子、詭謀執耶穌殺之、

逾越節及除酵節前二日、祭司諸長及經士共謀、以詭計執耶穌而殺之、

時去免難節兼除酵節、僅二日矣。大司祭及經生共謀所以執耶穌而置之死地；

Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.

The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away. The chief priests and the teachers of the law were plotting to arrest Jesus secretly. They wanted to kill him.

It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him,

It was two days before the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a cunning way to arrest Jesus and kill him.

Now the Passover and Festival of Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest Him covertly and kill Him;

After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death.

Now after two days was the feast of the passover and the unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him with subtlety, and kill him:

After two days it was the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a treacherous way to arrest and kill Him.

After two days was[ the feast of] the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put[ him] to death.

Two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the chief priests and the experts in the law were trying to find a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.

It was now two days before the feast of the Passover and the unleavened bread, and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might seize him by deception, and kill him.

The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is also called Passover, was approaching.The leading priests and teachers of religious law were plotting how to kill Jesus, but they were afraid of the people’s reaction.

Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end.

“ Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb or young goat at twilight.They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the animal.That same night they must roast the meat over a fire and eat it along with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast.Do not eat any of the meat raw or boiled in water. The whole animal— including the head, legs, and internal organs— must be roasted over a fire.Do not leave any of it until the next morning. Burn whatever is not eaten before morning.“ These are your instructions for eating this meal: Be fully dressed, wear your sandals, and carry your walking stick in your hand. Eat the meal with urgency, for this is the Lord’s Passover.On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the Lord!But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.“ This is a day to remember. Each year, from generation to generation, you must celebrate it as a special festival to the Lord. This is a law for all time.For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast. On the first day of the festival, remove every trace of yeast from your homes. Anyone who eats bread made with yeast during the seven days of the festival will be cut off from the community of Israel.On the first day of the festival and again on the seventh day, all the people must observe an official day for holy assembly. No work of any kind may be done on these days except in the preparation of food.“ Celebrate this Festival of Unleavened Bread, for it will remind you that I brought your forces out of the land of Egypt on this very day. This festival will be a permanent law for you; celebrate this day from generation to generation.The bread you eat must be made without yeast from the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month until the evening of the twenty first day of that month.During those seven days, there must be no trace of yeast in your homes. Anyone who eats anything made with yeast during this week will be cut off from the community of Israel. These regulations apply both to the foreigners living among you and to the native born Israelites.During those days you must not eat anything made with yeast. Wherever you live, eat only bread made without yeast.”

“ The Lord’s Passover begins at sundown on the fourteenth day of the first month.On the next day, the fifteenth day of the month, you must begin celebrating the Festival of Unleavened Bread. This festival to the Lord continues for seven days, and during that time the bread you eat must be made without yeast.On the first day of the festival, all the people must stop their ordinary work and observe an official day for holy assembly.

“ In honor of the Lord your God, celebrate the Passover each year in the early spring, in the month of Abib, for that was the month in which the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night.Your Passover sacrifice may be from either the flock or the herd, and it must be sacrificed to the Lord your God at the designated place of worship— the place he chooses for his name to be honored.Eat it with bread made without yeast. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, as when you escaped from Egypt in such a hurry. Eat this bread— the bread of suffering— so that as long as you live you will remember the day you departed from Egypt.Let no yeast be found in any house throughout your land for those seven days. And when you sacrifice the Passover lamb on the evening of the first day, do not let any of the meat remain until the next morning.“ You may not sacrifice the Passover in just any of the towns that the Lord your God is giving you.You must offer it only at the designated place of worship— the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored. Sacrifice it there in the evening as the sun goes down on the anniversary of your exodus from Egypt.Roast the lamb and eat it in the place the Lord your God chooses. Then you may go back to your tents the next morning.For the next six days you may not eat any bread made with yeast. On the seventh day proclaim another holy day in honor of the Lord your God, and no work may be done on that day.

Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans?The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his anointed one.“ Let us break their chains,” they cry,“ and free ourselves from slavery to God.”But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them.Then in anger he rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury.

Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus.

Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind, and the powerful are not what they appear to be. If you weigh them on the scales, together they are lighter than a breath of air.

you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying,‘ Why were the nations so angry? Why did they waste their time with futile plans?The kings of the earth prepared for battle; the rulers gathered together against the Lord and against his Messiah.’“ In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed.But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will.

Hide me from the plots of this evil mob, from this gang of wrongdoers.They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows.They shoot from ambush at the innocent, attacking suddenly and fearlessly.They encourage each other to do evil and plan how to set their traps in secret.“ Who will ever notice?” they ask.As they plot their crimes, they say,“ We have devised the perfect plan!” Yes, the human heart and mind are cunning.

So from that time on, the Jewish leaders began to plot Jesus’ death.As a result, Jesus stopped his public ministry among the people and left Jerusalem. He went to a place near the wilderness, to the village of Ephraim, and stayed there with his disciples.It was now almost time for the Jewish Passover celebration, and many people from all over the country arrived in Jerusalem several days early so they could go through the purification ceremony before Passover began.They kept looking for Jesus, but as they stood around in the Temple, they said to each other,“ What do you think? He won’t come for Passover, will he?”Meanwhile, the leading priests and Pharisees had publicly ordered that anyone seeing Jesus must report it immediately so they could arrest him.

“ On the fourteenth day of the first month, you must celebrate the Lord’s Passover.On the following day— the fifteenth day of the month— a joyous, seven day festival will begin, but no bread made with yeast may be eaten.The first day of the festival will be an official day for holy assembly, and no ordinary work may be done on that day.As a special gift you must present a burnt offering to the Lord— two young bulls, one ram, and seven one year old male lambs, all with no defects.These will be accompanied by grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil— six quarts with each bull, four quarts with the ram,and two quarts with each of the seven lambs.You must also offer a male goat as a sin offering to purify yourselves and make yourselves right with the Lord.Present these offerings in addition to your regular morning burnt offering.On each of the seven days of the festival, this is how you must prepare the food offering that is presented as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. These will be offered in addition to the regular burnt offerings and liquid offerings.The seventh day of the festival will be another official day for holy assembly, and no ordinary work may be done on that day.

“ As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”At that same time the leading priests and elders were meeting at the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest,plotting how to capture Jesus secretly and kill him.“ But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed,“ or the people may riot.”

Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together.“ What are we going to do?” they asked each other.“ This man certainly performs many miraculous signs.

They plan to topple me from my high position. They delight in telling lies about me. They praise me to my face but curse me in their hearts. Interlude

You love evil more than good and lies more than truth. Interlude

When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do— blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.