The Jewish Leaders Plot to Kill Jesus

⁴⁵ Then many of the Jews who had come with Mary and saw the things which he did believed in him. ⁴⁶ But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done. ⁴⁷ So the chief priests and the Pharisees called together the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs! ⁴⁸ If we allow him to go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place^[a] and our^[b] nation.”

⁴⁹ But a certain one of them, Caiaphas (who was high priest in that year), said to them, “You do not know anything at all! ⁵⁰ Nor do you consider that it is profitable for you that one man should die for the people, and the whole nation not perish.” ⁵¹ (Now he did not say this from himself, but being high priest in that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, ⁵² and not for the nation only, but also that the children of God who are scattered would be gathered into one.) ⁵³ So from that day they resolved that they should kill him. ⁵⁴ So Jesus was no longer walking openly among the Jews, but went away from there to the region near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.

⁵⁵ Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem from the surrounding country before the Passover, so that they could purify themselves. ⁵⁶ So they were looking for Jesus, and were speaking with one another while^[c] standing in the temple courts,^[d] “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast?” ⁵⁷ (Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, they should report it,^[e] in order that they could arrest him.)