The Plot to Kill Jesus

^45 (A)Many of the Jews therefore, ^(B)who had come with Mary and ^(C)had seen what he did, believed in him, ⁴⁶ but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷ So the chief priests and the Pharisees ^(D)gathered ^(E)the council and said, ^(F)“What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. ⁴⁸ If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and ^(G)the Romans will come and take away both our ^(H)place and our nation.” ⁴⁹ But one of them, ^(I)Caiaphas, ^(J)who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. ⁵⁰ Nor do you understand that ^(K)it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” ⁵¹ He did not say this of his own accord, but ^(L)being high priest that year ^(M)he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, ⁵² and ^(N)not for the nation only, but also ^(O)to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. ⁵³ So from that day on they ^(P)made plans to put him to death.

⁵⁴ Jesus therefore ^(Q)no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.

⁵⁵ Now ^(R)the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and ^(S)many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover ^(T)to purify themselves. ^56 (U)They were looking for^[a] Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” ⁵⁷ Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.