John 18
Modern English Version
The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus(A)
18 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples across the Kidron Valley. There was a garden which He and His disciples entered.
2 Now Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with His disciples. 3 So Judas, having taken a detachment of soldiers and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.
4 Jesus therefore, knowing everything that would happen to Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”
5 They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, was standing with them. 6 When He said, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
7 Again Jesus asked them, “Whom do you seek?”
They said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He. So then let these go their way if you are looking for Me.” 9 This was to fulfill the word which He had spoken, “I have lost none of those whom You have given Me.”
10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.
11 Then Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”
Jesus Before the High Priest(B)
12 Then the detachment of soldiers and the commander and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. 13 First they led Him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law to Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year. 14 Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
Peter’s Denial of Jesus(C)
15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. That disciple was known to the high priest and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. 16 But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper and brought Peter in.
17 Then the servant girl, being the doorkeeper, said to Peter, “Are you not also one of this Man’s disciples?”
He said, “I am not.”
18 Now the servants and officers stood there and warmed themselves, having made a fire of coals, for it was cold. Peter also stood with them and warmed himself.
The High Priest Questions Jesus(D)
19 The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His teaching.
20 Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in the synagogue and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and I said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you ask Me? Ask those who heard Me and what I have said to them. Certainly they know what I said.”
22 When He had said this, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Is that how You answer the high priest?”
23 Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil, but if well, why do you strike me?” 24 Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
Peter Denies Jesus Again(E)
25 Meanwhile Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “Are you not also one of His disciples?”
He denied it and said, “I am not!”
26 One of the servants of the high priest, being a relative of the man whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” 27 Peter then denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed.
Jesus Before Pilate(F)
28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium. It was early. Yet they themselves did not enter the Praetorium, so that they might not be defiled, but might eat the Passover. 29 Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”
30 They answered him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have handed Him over to you.”
31 Then Pilate said, “Take Him and judge Him according to your law.”
The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” 32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying what death He would die.
33 Again Pilate entered the Praetorium, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking of your own accord, or did others tell you about Me?”
35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests handed You over to me. What have You done?”
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would fight, that I would not be handed over to the Jews. But now My kingdom is not from here.”
37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, “Then are You a king?”
Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” When he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, “I find no guilt in Him at all.
Jesus Sentenced to Die(G)
39 “But you have a custom, that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
40 They all shouted again, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.
John 18
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Jesus Betrayed
18 After(A) Jesus had said these things, He went out with His disciples across the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden, and He and His disciples went into it. 2 Judas,(B) who betrayed(C) Him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with His disciples. 3 So Judas took a company of soldiers and some temple police from the chief priests and the Pharisees(D) and came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.
4 Then Jesus, knowing everything that was about to happen to Him,(E) went out and said to them, “Who is it you’re looking for?”
5 “Jesus the Nazarene,” they answered.
“I am He,”[a](F) Jesus told them.
Judas, who betrayed Him, was also standing with them. 6 When He told them, “I am He,” they stepped back and fell to the ground.
7 Then He asked them again, “Who is it you’re looking for?”
“Jesus the Nazarene,” they said.
8 “I told you I am He,” Jesus replied. “So if you’re looking for Me, let these men go.” 9 This was to fulfill(G) the words He had said: “I have not lost one of those You have given Me.”(H)
10 Then Simon(I) Peter,(J) who had a sword,(K) drew it, struck the high priest’s(L) slave, and cut off his right ear. (The slave’s name was Malchus.)
11 At that, Jesus said to Peter, “Sheathe your sword! Am I not to drink the cup(M) the Father has given Me?”
Jesus Arrested and Taken to Annas
12 Then the company of soldiers, the commander, and the Jewish temple police arrested Jesus and tied Him up. 13 First they led Him to Annas,(N) for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas,(O) who was high priest that year. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was advantageous that one man should die for the people.(P)
Peter Denies Jesus
15 Meanwhile, Simon Peter(Q) was following Jesus, as was another disciple. That disciple was an acquaintance of the high priest; so he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard. 16 But Peter remained standing outside by the door. So the other disciple, the one known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the girl who was the doorkeeper and brought Peter in.
17 Then the slave girl who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?”
“I am not!” he said. 18 Now the slaves and the temple police had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold. They were standing there warming themselves, and Peter was standing with them, warming himself.
Jesus before Annas
19 The high priest(R) questioned Jesus about His disciples and about His teaching.
20 “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus answered him. “I have always taught in the synagogue(S) and in the temple complex,(T) where all the Jews congregate, and I haven’t spoken anything in secret. 21 Why do you question Me? Question those who heard what I told them. Look, they know what I said.”
22 When He had said these things, one of the temple police standing by slapped Jesus, saying, “Is this the way you answer the high priest?”
23 “If I have spoken wrongly,” Jesus answered him, “give evidence[b] about the wrong; but if rightly,(U) why do you hit Me?”
24 Then(V) Annas(W) sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
Peter Denies Jesus Twice More
25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said to him, “You aren’t one of His disciples too, are you?”
He denied it and said, “I am not!”
26 One of the high priest’s slaves, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you with Him in the garden?”
27 Peter then denied it again. Immediately a rooster crowed.(X)
Jesus before Pilate
28 Then(Y) they took Jesus from Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters.(Z) It was early morning. They did not enter the headquarters themselves; otherwise they would be defiled and unable to eat the Passover.
29 Then Pilate(AA) came out to them and said, “What charge(AB) do you bring against this man?”
30 They answered him, “If this man weren’t a criminal,[c] we wouldn’t have handed Him over to you.”
31 So Pilate told them, “Take Him yourselves and judge Him according to your law.”
“It’s not legal[d] for us to put anyone to death,” the Jews declared. 32 They said this so that Jesus’ words might be fulfilled signifying what kind of death He was going to die.(AC)
33 Then Pilate went back into the headquarters, summoned Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”(AD)
34 Jesus answered, “Are you asking this on your own, or have others told you about Me?”
35 “I’m not a Jew, am I?” Pilate replied. “Your own nation and the chief priests handed You over to me. What have You done?”
36 “My kingdom(AE) is not of this world,” said Jesus. “If My kingdom were of this world,(AF) My servants[e](AG) would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. As it is, My kingdom does not have its origin here.”[f](AH)
37 “You are a king then?” Pilate asked.
“You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world(AI) for this: to testify(AJ) to the truth.(AK) Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.”
38 “What is truth?” said Pilate.
Jesus or Barabbas
After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no grounds(AL) for charging Him. 39 You(AM) have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at the Passover. So, do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
40 They shouted back, “Not this man, but Barabbas!”(AN) Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.[g](AO)
Footnotes
- John 18:5 Lit I am; see note at Jn 8:58.
- John 18:23 Or him, testify
- John 18:30 Lit an evil doer
- John 18:31 According to Roman law
- John 18:36 Or attendants, or helpers
- John 18:36 Lit My kingdom is not from here
- John 18:40 Or robber; see Jn 10:1,8 for the same Gk word used here
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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