Taken into Custody

⁴⁷ While Yeshua was still speaking, here came Judah, one of the Twelve, and with him a big crowd with swords and clubs, from the ruling kohanim and elders of the people. ⁴⁸ Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, ‘The One I kiss, He’s the One—seize Him!’ ⁴⁹ And immediately Judah drew near^[a] to Yeshua and said, “Shalom, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

⁵⁰ “Friend,” Yeshua said to him, “do what you’ve come to do.” Then they came up and threw their hands on Yeshua and seized Him. ⁵¹ And suddenly, one of those with Yeshua stretched out his hand and drew his sword, and he struck the kohen gadol’s servant and cut off his ear.

⁵² Then Yeshua said to him, “Put your sword back in its place! For all who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. ^{[b] 53} Or do you suppose that I cannot call on My Father, and at once He will place at My side twelve legions^[c] of angels? ⁵⁴ How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”

⁵⁵ At that hour Yeshua said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, to capture Me as you would a revolutionary?^[d] Every day I sat teaching in the Temple, and you didn’t seize Me. ⁵⁶ But all this has happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples fled, abandoning Him.

⁵⁷ Now those who had seized Yeshua led Him away to Caiaphas, the kohen gadol, where the Torah scholars and elders had gathered. ⁵⁸ Peter was following Him from a distance as far as the courtyard of the kohen gadol. And after going inside, he was sitting with the guards, to see the outcome.

Yeshua’s Trial Begins

⁵⁹ Now the ruling kohanim and all the Sanhedrin kept trying to get false testimony against Yeshua so they could put Him to death. ⁶⁰ But they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward ⁶¹ and said, “This fellow said, ‘I’m able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days!’”

⁶² The kohen gadol stood up and said to Yeshua, “Have You no answer? What’s this they’re testifying against You?” ⁶³ But Yeshua kept silent.

The kohen gadol said to Him, “I charge You under oath by the living God, tell us if You are Mashiach Ben-Elohim!”^[e]

⁶⁴ “As you have said,” replied Yeshua. “Besides that, I tell you, soon after you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”^[f]

⁶⁵ Then the kohen gadol tore his clothes and said, “Blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, you’ve heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶ What’s your verdict?”^[g]

“Guilty,” they answered. “He deserves death!” ⁶⁷ Then they spat in His face and pounded Him with their fists.^[h] Others slapped Him and demanded, ⁶⁸ “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Which one hit You?”

Judah’s Remorse

27 When daybreak came, the ruling kohanim and elders of the people conspired against Yeshua to put Him to death. ² And they tied Him up, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate, the governor. ³ Then Judah, His betrayer, saw that Yeshua had been condemned. Feeling remorse, he brought the thirty silver pieces back to the ruling kohanim and elders, ⁴ saying, “I’ve sinned, betraying innocent blood!”

But they said, “What’s that to us? You see to it yourself!” ⁵ After tossing the silver into the Temple sanctuary, he left. Then he went off and hanged himself. ⁶ But the ruling kohanim took the silver pieces and said, “It is not permitted to put these in the treasury, since it is blood money.” ⁷ So after they conferred, they bought with them the potter’s field, as a cemetery for strangers. ⁸ For this reason that field has been called the “Field of Blood” to this day. ⁹ Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “And they took the thirty silver pieces, the price of Him on whom a price had been set by Bnei-Yisrael; ¹⁰ and they gave them for the potter’s field, just as Adonai arranged for me.”^[a]

“Kill the King!”

¹¹ Now Yeshua stood before the governor. The governor questioned Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

“You say so,” Yeshua said. ¹² And while He was accused by the ruling kohanim and elders, He did not answer.

¹³ Then Pilate said to Him, “Don’t You hear how many things they testify against you?” ¹⁴ Yeshua did not answer, not even one word, so the governor was greatly amazed.

¹⁵ Now during the feast, the governor was accustomed to release to the crowd one prisoner, anyone they wanted. ¹⁶ At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Yeshua Bar-Abba. ¹⁷ So when they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Which one do you want me to release for you? Yeshua who is Bar-Abba, or Yeshua who is called Messiah?” ^{[b] 18} For he knew that they had handed Him over out of envy.

¹⁹ While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “Don’t have anything to do with that righteous Man, for today I’ve suffered many things in a dream because of Him.”

²⁰ Now the ruling kohanim and elders persuaded the crowds that they should ask for Bar-Abba and destroy Yeshua. ²¹ But the governor responded, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?”

And they said, “Bar-Abba!”

²² Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Yeshua, who is called Messiah?”

“Execute Him!” all of them say.

²³ But Pilate said, “Why? What evil has He done?”

But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Let Him be executed!”

²⁴ When Pilate saw he was accomplishing nothing, but instead a riot was starting, he took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this blood,”^[c] he said. “You see to it yourselves!”

²⁵ All the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children!”^[d]

²⁶ Then he released to them Bar-Abba. And after he had Yeshua scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.