Jesus before the High Priest

⁵⁷ Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. ⁵⁸ But Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards in order to see how this would end.^{(A) 59} Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death, ⁶⁰ but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward^{(B) 61} and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ”^{(C) 62} The high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?” ⁶³ But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I put you under oath before the living God, tell us if you are the Messiah,^[a] the Son of God.”^{(D) 64} Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you,

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy.^{(F) 66} What do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death.”^{(G) 67} Then they spat in his face and struck him, and some slapped him,^{(H) 68} saying, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah!^[b] Who is it that struck you?”

Peter’s Denial of Jesus

⁶⁹ Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A female servant came to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” ⁷⁰ But he denied it before all of them, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” ⁷¹ When he went out to the porch, another female servant saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.”^{[c] 72} Again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” ⁷³ After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you.” ⁷⁴ Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath, “I do not know the man!” At that moment the cock crowed. ⁷⁵ Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.^(I)

Jesus Brought before Pilate

27 When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus in order to bring about his death. ² They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor.^(A)

The Suicide of Judas

³ When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus^[a] was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.^{(B) 4} He said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent^[b] blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.”^{(C) 5} Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.^{(D) 6} But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since they are blood money.” ⁷ After conferring together, they used them to buy the potter’s field as a place to bury foreigners. ⁸ For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.^{(E) 9} Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah,^[c] “And they took^[d] the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one on whom a price had been set,^[e] on whom some of the people of Israel had set a price,^{(F) 10} and they gave^[f] them for the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”

Pilate Questions Jesus

¹¹ Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You say so.” ¹² But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer.^{(G) 13} Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?”^{(H) 14} But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.^(I)

Barabbas or Jesus?

¹⁵ Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. ¹⁶ At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Jesus^[g] Barabbas. ¹⁷ So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus^[h] Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”^{[i] 18} For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. ¹⁹ While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.”^{(J) 20} Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed.^{(K) 21} The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” ²² Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”^[j] All of them said, “Let him be crucified!” ²³ Then he asked, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

Pilate Hands Jesus Over to Be Crucified

²⁴ So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood;^[k] see to it yourselves.”^{(L) 25} Then the people as a whole answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”^{(M) 26} So he released Barabbas for them, and after flogging Jesus he handed him over to be crucified.^(N)

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

²⁷ Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters,^[l] and they gathered the whole cohort around him.^{(O) 28} They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, ²⁹ and after twisting some thorns into a crown they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”^{(P) 30} They spat on him and took the reed and struck him on the head.^{(Q) 31} After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.^(R)