¹¹ “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely^[a] on my account.^{(A) 12} Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.^(B)

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^{(A) 61} and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ”^{(B) 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.”^{(C) 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.^{(E) 66} What do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death.”^{(F) 67} Then they spat in his face and struck him, and some slapped him,^{(G) 68} saying, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah!^[b] Who is it that struck you?”

^7,8 For the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

¹³ Neither can they prove to you the charge that they now bring against me.^(A)

⁵ We have, in fact, found this man a pestilent fellow, an agitator among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.^[a](A)