Mark 14:66-15:15

Common English Bible

Peter denies Jesus

⁶⁶ Meanwhile, Peter was below in the courtyard. A woman, one of the high priest’s servants, approached ⁶⁷ and saw Peter warming himself by the fire. She stared at him and said, “You were also with the Nazarene, Jesus.”

⁶⁸ But he denied it, saying, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t understand what you’re saying.” And he went outside into the outer courtyard. A rooster crowed.

⁶⁹ The female servant saw him and began a second time to say to those standing around, “This man is one of them.” ⁷⁰ But he denied it again.

A short time later, those standing around again said to Peter, “You must be one of them, because you are also a Galilean.”

⁷¹ But he cursed and swore, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.” ⁷² At that very moment, a rooster crowed a second time. Peter remembered what Jesus told him, “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down, sobbing.

Trial before Pilate

15 At daybreak, the chief priests—with the elders, legal experts, and the whole Sanhedrin—formed a plan. They bound Jesus, led him away, and turned him over to Pilate. ² Pilate questioned him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Jesus replied, “That’s what you say.” ³ The chief priests were accusing him of many things.

⁴ Pilate asked him again, “Aren’t you going to answer? What about all these accusations?” ⁵ But Jesus gave no more answers, so that Pilate marveled.

⁶ During the festival, Pilate released one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. ⁷ A man named Barabbas was locked up with the rebels who had committed murder during an uprising. ⁸ The crowd pushed forward and asked Pilate to release someone, as he regularly did. ⁹ Pilate answered them, “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” ¹⁰ He knew that the chief priests had handed him over because of jealousy. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas to them instead. ¹² Pilate replied, “Then what do you want me to do with the one you call king of the Jews?”

¹³ They shouted back, “Crucify him!”

¹⁴ Pilate said to them, “Why? What wrong has he done?”

They shouted even louder, “Crucify him!”

¹⁵ Pilate wanted to satisfy the crowd, so he released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus whipped, then handed him over to be crucified.