Judas Iscariot

14Then one of the twelve close followers went to the chief priests. His name was Judas Iscariot.

Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,

NoteThe twelve were the followers Jesus picked to stay closest to him.

15He asked, "What will you pay me if I hand him over to you?" They agreed to give him thirty silver coins.

And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.

NoteThirty silver coins was a lot of money. It was about what a person paid to buy a slave.

16From that time on, Judas watched for a good chance to hand Jesus over.

And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

20When evening came, Jesus sat down to eat with the twelve.

Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.

NotePeople did not sit on chairs to eat. They lay on their sides on cushions around a low table.

21While they were eating, he said, "I tell you the truth. One of you will hand me over."

And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.

22They were very sad. One after another they asked him, "Lord, is it me?"

And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?

23He answered, "The one who dips his hand in the bowl with me will hand me over."

And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.

NoteThere were no forks. Everyone dipped bread into the same bowl of food with their fingers.

24"The Son of Man will go just as God's writings said he would. But it will be terrible for the man who hands him over. It would be better for that man if he had never been born."

The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.

NoteGod's writings are the holy books written long before Jesus was born.

25Then Judas, the one who would hand him over, said, "Teacher, is it me?" Jesus said, "You have said it yourself."

Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.

NoteJudas called him Rabbi. Rabbi means teacher.

47While he was still talking, Judas came. A big crowd came with him, carrying swords and clubs. The chief priests and the leaders of the people had sent them.

And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.

NoteThese men were guards sent by the temple leaders. They were not soldiers from the army.

48Judas had given the crowd a signal. He said, "The man I kiss is the one. Grab him and hold him."

Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.

NoteA kiss on the cheek was a normal, friendly hello then, like a handshake today.

49He went straight to Jesus and said, "Hello, Teacher." Then he kissed him.

And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.

NoteThe old word "Hail" is just a way of saying hello.

50Jesus said, "Friend, do what you came to do." Then the men came and grabbed Jesus and arrested him.

And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.

3Judas was the one who had handed Jesus over. When he saw that Jesus was condemned, he was very sorry. He brought the thirty silver coins back to the chief priests and leaders.

Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

NoteThirty silver coins was a lot of money. It was about four months of pay for a worker.

4Judas said, "I did wrong. I handed over a man who did nothing wrong." They said, "That is not our problem. It is yours."

Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

5So Judas threw the silver coins down in the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

NoteThe temple was God's special house in Jerusalem. People went there to pray and bring gifts to God.

6The chief priests picked up the coins. They said, "Our law says we cannot put this in the temple money box. It paid for a man's death."

And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.

NoteThe money box held gifts people gave to God. The leaders said this money was too dirty for that.

7They talked it over. They used the money to buy the potter's field. It would be a burial place for strangers.

And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in.

NoteA potter makes pots out of clay. A field dug up for clay was no good for growing food. Strangers were travelers with no family grave nearby.

8That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood.

Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.

9This made true the words of Jeremiah the prophet. He wrote: "They took the thirty silver coins. That was the price the people of Israel set on him.

Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value;

NoteJeremiah lived hundreds of years before Jesus. Matthew says his old words came true now. A prophet was someone who told people what God said.

10They used the coins to buy the potter's field, just as the Lord told me."

And gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me.

10Then Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests. He was one of the twelve close followers of Jesus. He went to hand Jesus over to them.

And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them.

NoteJesus picked twelve close followers to stay with him. Judas was one of those twelve.

11They were happy to hear this. They promised to give him money. So Judas started looking for a good chance to hand Jesus over.

And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him.

43While Jesus was still talking, Judas came. He was one of the twelve. A big crowd came with him carrying swords and clubs. They were sent by the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders.

And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.

NoteElders were older men who helped lead the people. The King James says "staves," which are heavy wooden clubs.

44The man who was handing Jesus over had planned a signal with them. He said, "The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him and lead him away under guard."

And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely.

NoteFriends greeted each other with a kiss on the cheek. It was like a hug is for us today.

45Judas walked straight up to Jesus and said, "Teacher! Teacher!" Then he kissed him.

And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him.

46So the men grabbed Jesus and arrested him.

And they laid their hands on him, and took him.

1The Feast of Unleavened Bread was almost here. People also call it the Passover.

Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.

NotePassover was a special holiday every spring. Families ate a big meal together. They remembered when God brought their people out of Egypt long ago. Unleavened bread is flat bread made without yeast, so it does not puff up.

2The chief priests and the scribes, teachers of God's law, were looking for a way to kill Jesus. They were afraid of the people.

And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.

NoteChief priests were the men in charge at the temple in Jerusalem. Scribes copied God's law by hand and taught it to people. The leaders were afraid because big crowds liked Jesus.

3Then Satan, God's enemy, went into Judas Iscariot. Judas was one of Jesus' twelve chosen helpers.

Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.

NoteSatan is the name for God's enemy. Iscariot was probably the name of the town Judas came from.

4Judas went and talked with the chief priests and the temple guards. He asked how he could hand Jesus over to them.

And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.

NoteThe temple was the huge building in Jerusalem where people worshiped God. The temple guards were men who kept order there.

5They were glad. They agreed to give Judas money.

And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.

6Judas said yes. He watched for a time to hand Jesus over when no crowd was near.

And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.

47While he was still talking, a crowd came. Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He came close to Jesus to kiss him.

And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.

NoteA kiss on the cheek was a normal hello between friends. Judas used it to show the guards which man was Jesus.

48But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you handing over the Son of Man with a kiss?"

But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?