Judas Betrays Jesus

18 When Jesus had spoken these words, (A)He went away with His disciples across (B)the [a]ravine of the Kidron, where there was (C)a garden which He entered [b]with His disciples. Now Judas, who was [c]betraying Him, also knew the place, because Jesus had (D)often met there with His disciples. (E)So Judas, having obtained (F)the Roman [d]cohort and (G)officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, *came there with lanterns, (H)torches, and weapons. Jesus therefore, (I)knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, came out into the open and *said to them, (J)Whom are you seeking?” They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He *said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. Now then, when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. He then asked them again, (K)Whom are you seeking?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.” Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; so if you are seeking Me, let these men go on their way.” This took place so that the word which He spoke would be fulfilled: (L)Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.” 10 Then Simon Peter, (M)since he had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus. 11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; (N)the cup which the Father has given Me, am I not to drink it?”

Jesus before the Priests

12 (O)So (P)the Roman [e]cohort, the [f]commander, and the (Q)officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him, 13 and brought Him to (R)Annas first; for he was the father-in-law of (S)Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14 Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that (T)it was in their best interest for one man to die in behalf of the people.

15 (U)Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and he entered with Jesus into (V)the courtyard of the high priest, 16 (W)but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in. 17 (X)Then the slave woman who was the doorkeeper *said to Peter, “(Y)You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?” He *said, “I am not.” 18 Now the slaves and the (Z)officers were standing there, having made (AA)a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were (AB)warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself.

19 (AC)The high priest then questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching. 20 Jesus answered him, “I (AD)have spoken openly to the world; I always (AE)taught in [g]synagogues and (AF)in the temple area, where all the Jews congregate; and I said nothing in secret. 21 Why are you asking Me? Ask those who have heard what I spoke to them. Look: these people know what I said.” 22 But when He said this, one of the (AG)officers, who was standing nearby, (AH)struck Jesus, saying, “Is that the way You answer the high priest?” 23 (AI)Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?” 24 (AJ)So Annas sent Him bound to (AK)Caiaphas the high priest.

Peter’s Denial of Jesus

25 (AL)Now (AM)Simon Peter was still standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “(AN)You are not one of His disciples as well, are you?” He denied it, and said, “I am not.” 26 One of the slaves of the high priest, who was related to the one (AO)whose ear Peter cut off, *said, “Did I not see you in (AP)the garden with Him?” 27 Peter then denied it again, and immediately (AQ)a rooster crowed.

Jesus before Pilate

28 (AR)Then they *brought Jesus from (AS)Caiaphas into (AT)the [h]Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter (AU)the [i]Praetorium, so that (AV)they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover. 29 (AW)Therefore Pilate came out to them and *said, “What accusation are you bringing against this Man?” 30 They answered and said to him, “If this Man were not [j]a criminal, we would not have handed Him over to you.” 31 So Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.” The Jews said to him, “We are not [k]permitted to put anyone to death.” 32 This happened so that (AX)the word of Jesus which He said, indicating what kind of death He was going to die, would be fulfilled.

33 Therefore Pilate (AY)entered the Praetorium again, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “(AZ)You are the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Are you saying this [l]on your own, or did others tell you about Me?” 35 Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed You over to me; what have You done?” 36 Jesus answered, (BA)My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not [m]of this realm.” 37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, (BB)You say correctly that I am a king. For this purpose I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: (BC)to testify to the truth. (BD)Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.” 38 Pilate *said to Him, “What is truth?”

And after saying this, he (BE)came out again to the Jews and *said to them, “(BF)I find no grounds at all for charges in [n]His case. 39 (BG)However, you have a custom that I release one prisoner [o]for you at the Passover; therefore do you wish that I release [p]for you the King of the Jews?” 40 So they shouted again, saying, “(BH)Not this Man, but Barabbas.” Now Barabbas was a rebel.

Footnotes

  1. John 18:1 Lit winter torrent; or wadi
  2. John 18:1 Lit and
  3. John 18:2 Or handing Him over
  4. John 18:3 Normally 600 men (the number varied)
  5. John 18:12 Normally 600 men (the number varied)
  6. John 18:12 I.e., commander of the cohort
  7. John 18:20 Lit a synagogue
  8. John 18:28 I.e., governor’s official residence
  9. John 18:28 I.e., governor’s official residence
  10. John 18:30 Lit one doing evil
  11. John 18:31 I.e., under Roman law
  12. John 18:34 Lit from yourself
  13. John 18:36 Lit from here
  14. John 18:38 Lit Him
  15. John 18:39 Or to you
  16. John 18:39 Or to you

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. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. 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.

Then Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen, went forward and asked them, “Who are you looking for?”

They answered him, “Jesus from Nazareth.”[a]

Jesus told them, “I AM.” Judas, the man who betrayed him, was standing with them.

When Jesus[b] told them, “I AM,” they backed away and fell to the ground.

So he asked them again, “Who are you looking for?”

They said, “Jesus from Nazareth.”[c]

Jesus replied, “I told you that I am the one,[d] so if you are looking for me, let these men go.” 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

  1. 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.
  2. John 18:6 Lit. he
  3. 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.
  4. John 18:8 The Gk. lacks the one
  5. John 18:9 Cf. John 17:12
  6. John 18:23 Lit. about the wrong
  7. John 18:25 Lit. They
  8. John 18:26 Lit. him
  9. John 18:28 Lit. to the praetorium
  10. John 18:28 Lit. they
  11. John 18:28 I.e. ceremonially unqualified
  12. John 18:31 I.e. Judean leaders; lit. The Jews
  13. John 18:32 Lit. the word of Jesus that he said
  14. John 18:33 Lit. into the praetorium
  15. John 18:36 I.e. Judean leaders; lit. the Jews
  16. John 18:38 I.e. Judean leaders; lit. the Jews
  17. John 18:40 Or bandit