Old/New Testament
Jesus before the High priest
53-58 So they marched Jesus away to the High Priest in whose presence all the chief priests and elders and scribes had assembled. (Peter followed him at a safe distance, right up to the High Priest’s courtyard. There he sat in the firelight with the servants, keeping himself warm.) Meanwhile, the chief priests and the whole council were trying to find some evidence against Jesus which would warrant the death penalty. But they failed completely. There were plenty of people ready to give false testimony against him, but their evidence was contradictory. Then some more perjurers stood up and said, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this Temple that was built by human hands and in three days I will build another made without human aid.’”
59-60 But even so their evidence conflicted. So the High Priest himself got up and took the centre of the floor. “Have you no answer to make?” he asked Jesus. “What about all this evidence against you?”
61 But Jesus remained silent and offered no reply. Again the High Priest asked him, “Are you Christ, Son of the blessed one?”
62 And Jesus said, “I am! Yes, you will all see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, coming in the clouds of heaven.”
63-64 Then the High Priest tore his robes and cried, “Why do we still need witnesses? You heard the blasphemy; what is your opinion now?”
65 And their verdict was that he deserved to die. Then some of them began to spit at him. They blindfolded him and then slapped him, saying, “Now prophesy who hit you!” Even the servants who took him away slapped his face.
Peter, in fear, disowns his master
66-67 In the meantime, while Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the High Priest’s maids came and saw him warming himself. She looked closely at him, and said, “You were with the Nazarene too—with Jesus!”
68 But he denied it, saying, “I don’t understand. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” And he walked out into the gateway, and a cock crew.
69 Again the maid who had noticed him began to say to the men standing there, “This man is one of them!”
70 But he denied it again. A few minutes later the bystanders themselves said to Peter, “You certainly are one of them. Why, you’re a Galilean!”
71 But he started to curse and swear, “I tell you I don’t know the man you’re talking about!”
72 Immediately the cock crew for the second time, and back into Peter’s mind came the words of Jesus, “Before the cock crows twice, you will disown me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
The New Testament in Modern English by J.B Phillips copyright © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Administered by The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. Used by Permission.