Jesus Before the Sanhedrin^(A)

⁵⁷ Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas^(B) the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. ⁵⁸ But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest.^(C) He entered and sat down with the guards^(D) to see the outcome.

⁵⁹ The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin^(E) were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. ⁶⁰ But they did not find any, though many false witnesses^(F) came forward.

Finally two^(G) came forward ⁶¹ and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”^(H)

⁶² Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” ⁶³ But Jesus remained silent.^(I)

The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath^(J) by the living God:^(K) Tell us if you are the Messiah,^(L) the Son of God.”^(M)

⁶⁴ “You have said so,”^(N) Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One^(O) and coming on the clouds of heaven.”^[a](P)

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his clothes^(Q) and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶ What do you think?”

“He is worthy of death,”^(R) they answered.

⁶⁷ Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists.^(S) Others slapped him ⁶⁸ and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”^(T)

Peter Disowns Jesus^(U)

⁶⁹ Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.

⁷⁰ But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

⁷¹ Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

⁷² He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”

⁷³ After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”

⁷⁴ Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”

Immediately a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵ Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”^(V) And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Judas Hangs Himself

27 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed.^{(W) 2} So they bound him, led him away and handed him over^(X) to Pilate the governor.^(Y)

³ When Judas, who had betrayed him,^(Z) saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver^(AA) to the chief priests and the elders. ⁴ “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”^(AB)

⁵ So Judas threw the money into the temple^(AC) and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.^(AD)

⁶ The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” ⁷ So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. ⁸ That is why it has been called the Field of Blood^(AE) to this day. ⁹ Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:^(AF) “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, ¹⁰ and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”^[b](AG)

Jesus Before Pilate^(AH)

¹¹ Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”^(AI)

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

¹² When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer.^{(AJ) 13} Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?”^{(AK) 14} But Jesus made no reply,^(AL) not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.

¹⁵ Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner^(AM) chosen by the crowd. ¹⁶ At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus^[c] Barabbas. ¹⁷ So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”^{(AN) 18} For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

¹⁹ While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat,^(AO) his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent^(AP) man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream^(AQ) because of him.”

²⁰ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.^(AR)

²¹ “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.

“Barabbas,” they answered.

²² “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”^(AS) Pilate asked.

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

²³ “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar^(AT) was starting, he took water and washed his hands^(AU) in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,”^(AV) he said. “It is your responsibility!”^(AW)

²⁵ All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”^(AX)

²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged,^(AY) and handed him over to be crucified.

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin^(A)(B)

⁵³ They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came together. ⁵⁴ Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest.^(C) There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.^(D)

⁵⁵ The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin^(E) were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. ⁵⁶ Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.

⁵⁷ Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: ⁵⁸ “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another,^(F) not made with hands.’” ⁵⁹ Yet even then their testimony did not agree.

⁶⁰ Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” ⁶¹ But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.^(G)

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”^(H)

⁶² “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”^(I)

⁶³ The high priest tore his clothes.^(J) “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. ⁶⁴ “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”

They all condemned him as worthy of death.^{(K) 65} Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.^(L)

Peter Disowns Jesus^(M)

⁶⁶ While Peter was below in the courtyard,^(N) one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. ⁶⁷ When she saw Peter warming himself,^(O) she looked closely at him.

“You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,”^(P) she said.

⁶⁸ But he denied it. “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,”^(Q) he said, and went out into the entryway.^[a]

⁶⁹ When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.” ⁷⁰ Again he denied it.^(R)

After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.”^(S)

⁷¹ He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.”^(T)

⁷² Immediately the rooster crowed the second time.^[b] Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice^[c] you will disown me three times.”^(U) And he broke down and wept.

Jesus Before Pilate^(V)

15 Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law^(W) and the whole Sanhedrin,^(X) made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.^(Y)

² “Are you the king of the Jews?”^(Z) asked Pilate.

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

³ The chief priests accused him of many things. ⁴ So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”

⁵ But Jesus still made no reply,^(AA) and Pilate was amazed.

⁶ Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. ⁷ A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. ⁸ The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

⁹ “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?”^(AB) asked Pilate, ¹⁰ knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas^(AC) instead.

¹² “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.

¹³ “Crucify him!” they shouted.

¹⁴ “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

¹⁵ Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged,^(AD) and handed him over to be crucified.