John 18
New International Reader's Version
Jesus Is Arrested
18 When Jesus had finished praying, he left with his disciples. They crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden. Jesus and his disciples went into it.
2 Judas knew the place. He was going to hand Jesus over to his enemies. Jesus had often met in that place with his disciples. 3 So Judas came to the garden. He was guiding a group of soldiers and some officials. The chief priests and the Pharisees had sent them. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.
4 Jesus knew everything that was going to happen to him. So he went out and asked them, “Who do you want?”
5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.
“I am he,” Jesus said. Judas, who was going to hand Jesus over, was standing there with them. 6 When Jesus said, “I am he,” they moved back. Then they fell to the ground.
7 He asked them again, “Who do you want?”
“Jesus of Nazareth,” they said.
8 Jesus answered, “I told you I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” 9 This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken would come true. He had said, “I have not lost anyone God has given me.” (John 6:39)
10 Simon Peter had a sword and pulled it out. He struck the high priest’s slave and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus.
11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shouldn’t I drink the cup of suffering the Father has given me?”
12 Then the group of soldiers, their commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They tied him up 13 and brought him first to Annas. He was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest at that time. 14 Caiaphas had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people.
Peter Says He Is Not Jesus’ Disciple
15 Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. The high priest knew the other disciple. So that disciple went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard. 16 But Peter had to wait outside by the door. The other disciple came back. He was the one the high priest knew. He spoke to the servant woman who was on duty there. Then he brought Peter in.
17 She asked Peter, “You aren’t one of Jesus’ disciples too, are you?”
“I am not,” he replied.
18 It was cold. The slaves and officials stood around a fire. They had made it to keep warm. Peter was also standing with them. He was warming himself.
The High Priest Questions Jesus
19 Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus. He asked him about his disciples and his teaching.
20 “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I didn’t say anything in secret. 21 Why question me? Ask the people who heard me. They certainly know what I said.”
22 When Jesus said that, one of the officials nearby slapped him in the face. “Is this any way to answer the high priest?” he asked.
23 “Have I said something wrong?” Jesus replied. “If I have, then tell everyone what it was. But if I spoke the truth, why did you hit me?” 24 Annas sent him, tied up, to Caiaphas, the high priest.
Peter Again Says He Is Not Jesus’ Disciple
25 Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself by the fire. So they asked him, “You aren’t one of Jesus’ disciples too, are you?”
He said, “I am not.”
26 One of the high priest’s slaves was a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off. He said to Peter, “Didn’t I see you with Jesus in the garden?” 27 Again Peter said no. At that exact moment a rooster began to crow.
Jesus Is Brought to Pilate
28 Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning. The Jewish leaders did not want to be made “unclean.” They wanted to be able to eat the Passover meal. So they did not enter the palace. 29 Pilate came out to them. He asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”
30 “He has committed crimes,” they replied. “If he hadn’t, we would not have handed him over to you.”
31 Pilate said, “Take him yourselves. Judge him by your own law.”
“But we don’t have the right to put anyone to death,” they complained. 32 This happened so that what Jesus said about how he was going to die would come true.
33 Then Pilate went back inside the palace. He ordered Jesus to be brought to him. Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
34 “Is that your own idea?” Jesus asked. “Or did others talk to you about me?”
35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?”
36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not from this world. If it were, those who serve me would fight. They would try to keep the Jewish leaders from arresting me. My kingdom is from another place.”
37 “So you are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, that’s the reason I was born. I was born and came into the world to be a witness to the truth. Everyone who is on the side of truth listens to me.”
38 “What is truth?” Pilate replied. Then Pilate went out again to the Jews gathered there. He said, “I find no basis for any charge against him. 39 But you have a practice at Passover time. At that time, you ask me to set one prisoner free for you. Do you want me to set ‘the king of the Jews’ free?”
40 They shouted back, “No! Not him! Give us Barabbas!” Barabbas had taken part in an armed struggle against the country’s rulers.
John 18
International Standard Version
Jesus is Betrayed and Arrested(A)
18 After Jesus had said all of this, he went with his disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas took a detachment of soldiers and some officers from the high priests and the Pharisees and went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.
4 Then Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen, went forward and asked them, “Who are you looking for?”
5 They answered him, “Jesus from Nazareth.”[a]
Jesus told them, “I AM.” Judas, the man who betrayed him, was standing with them.
6 When Jesus[b] told them, “I AM,” they backed away and fell to the ground.
7 So he asked them again, “Who are you looking for?”
They said, “Jesus from Nazareth.”[c]
8 Jesus replied, “I told you that I am the one,[d] so if you are looking for me, let these men go.” 9 This was to fulfill what he had said, “I did not lose a single one of those you gave me.”[e]
10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. 11 Jesus told Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Shouldn’t I drink the cup that the Father has given me?”
Jesus before the High Priest(B)
12 Then the soldiers, along with their commander and the Jewish officers, arrested Jesus and tied him up. 13 First they brought him to Annas, because he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 14 Caiaphas was the person who had advised the Jews that it was better to have one man die for the people.
Peter Denies Jesus(C)
15 Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Since the other disciple was known to the high priest, he accompanied Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. 16 Peter, however, stood outside the gate. So this other disciple who was known to the high priest went out and spoke to the gatekeeper and brought Peter inside. 17 The young woman at the gate asked Peter, “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples, too, are you?”
“I am not,” he replied.
18 Meanwhile, the servants and officers were standing around a charcoal fire they had built and were warming themselves because it was cold. Peter was also standing with them, keeping himself warm.
The High Priest Questions Jesus(D)
19 Then the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his own teaching. 20 Jesus answered him, “I have spoken publicly to the world. I have always taught in the synagogue or in the Temple, where all Jews meet together, and I have said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you question me? Question those who heard what I said. These are the people who know what I said.”
22 When he said this, one of the officers standing nearby slapped Jesus on the face and demanded, “Is that any way to answer the high priest?”
23 Jesus answered him, “If I have said anything wrong, tell me what it was.[f] But if I have told the truth, why do you hit me?” 24 Then Annas sent him, with his hands tied, to Caiaphas the high priest.
Peter Denies Jesus Again(E)
25 Meanwhile, Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. Some people[g] asked him, “You aren’t one of his disciples, too, are you?”
He denied it by saying, “I am not!”
26 Then one of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “I saw you in the garden with Jesus,[h] didn’t I?” 27 Peter again denied it, and immediately a rooster crowed.
Pilate Questions Jesus(F)
28 Then Jesus was led from Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters[i] early in the morning. The Jews[j] did not go into the headquarters, to avoid becoming unclean[k] and unable to eat the Passover meal. 29 So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What accusation are you bringing against this man?”
30 They answered him, “If he weren’t a criminal, we wouldn’t have handed him over to you.”
31 Pilate told them, “You take him and try him according to your Law.”
The Jewish leaders[l] told him, “It is not legal for us to put anyone to death.” 32 This was to fulfill what Jesus had said[m] when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.
33 So Pilate went back into the governor’s headquarters,[n] summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
34 Jesus replied, “Are you asking this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about me?”
35 Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? It is your own nation and high priests who have handed you over to me. What have you done?”
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom belonged to this world, my servants would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders.[o] But for now my kingdom is not from here.”
37 Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?”
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. I was born for this, and I came into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is committed to the truth listens to my voice.”
38 Pilate asked him, “What is ‘truth’?” and then he went out to the Jewish leaders[p] again and told them, “I find no basis for a charge against him. 39 But you have a custom that I release one person for you at Passover. Do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?”
40 At this, they shouted out again, “Not this fellow, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.[q]
Footnotes
- John 18:5 Or Jesus the Nazarene; the Gk. Nazoraios may be a word play between Heb. netser, meaning branch (cf. Isa 11:1), and the name Nazareth.
- John 18:6 Lit. he
- John 18:7 Or Jesus the Nazarene; the Gk. Nazoraios may be a word play between Heb. netser, meaning branch (cf. Isa 11:1), and the name Nazareth.
- John 18:8 The Gk. lacks the one
- John 18:9 Cf. John 17:12
- John 18:23 Lit. about the wrong
- John 18:25 Lit. They
- John 18:26 Lit. him
- John 18:28 Lit. to the praetorium
- John 18:28 Lit. they
- John 18:28 I.e. ceremonially unqualified
- John 18:31 I.e. Judean leaders; lit. The Jews
- John 18:32 Lit. the word of Jesus that he said
- John 18:33 Lit. into the praetorium
- John 18:36 I.e. Judean leaders; lit. the Jews
- John 18:38 I.e. Judean leaders; lit. the Jews
- John 18:40 Or bandit
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
