Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

New International Version

A Time for Everything

3 There is a time^(A) for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

²    a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,^(B)
³    a time to kill^(C) and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴    a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵    a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶    a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷    a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent^(D) and a time to speak,
⁸    a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

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John 18:25-40

New International Version

Peter’s Second and Third Denials^(A)

²⁵Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself.^(B) So they asked him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?”

He denied it, saying, “I am not.”^(C)

²⁶One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off,^(D) challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?”^(E) ²⁷Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.^(F)

Jesus Before Pilate^(G)

²⁸Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor.^(H) By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace,^(I) because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.^(J) ²⁹So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”

³⁰“If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”

³¹Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”

“But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. ³²This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.^(K)

³³Pilate then went back inside the palace,^(L) summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”^(M)

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 is it you have done?”

³⁶Jesus said, “My kingdom^(N) is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders.^(O) But now my kingdom is from another place.”^(P)

³⁷“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth.^(Q) Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”^(R)

³⁸“What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.^(S) ³⁹But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”

⁴⁰They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.^(T)

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