Peter Says He Doesn’t Know Jesus^(A)

⁵⁴ They ·arrested [seized] Jesus, and led him away, and brought him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed ·far behind them [at a distance]. ⁵⁵ After ·the soldiers [^Lthey] started a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat together, Peter sat with them. ⁵⁶ A servant girl saw Peter sitting there in the firelight, and looking closely at him, she said, “This man was also with him.”

⁵⁷ But Peter ·said this was not true [denied it]; he said, “Woman, I don’t know him.”

⁵⁸ A short time later, another person saw Peter and said, “You are also one of them.”

But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”

⁵⁹ About an hour later, another man insisted, “Certainly this man was with him, because he is ·from Galilee [a Galilean], too.”

⁶⁰ But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about!”

At once, while Peter was still speaking, a rooster crowed. ⁶¹ Then the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. And Peter remembered what the Lord had said: “Before the rooster crows this day, you will ·say three times that you don’t know me [deny me three times].” ⁶² Then Peter went outside and ·cried painfully [wept bitterly].