1After speaking these words, Jesus1241 went out with his disciples over the brook [called] Kidron. A garden1242 was there and he and his disciples entered. 2Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew about the place because Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3Judas then, having taken a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. 4Jesus, therefore, knowing all that was happening to him, went forward and said to them, “Who are you looking for?”
5They answered, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
Jesus said to them, “I am he.”1243
Judas (who betrayed him), was also standing with them. 6Now when Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they stepped back and fell to the ground.
7Again, Jesus asked them, “Who are you looking for?”
They replied, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
8Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he.1244 Therefore, if you are looking for me, let these [my disciples] go their way.” 9[He said this] so that the word which he had spoken (“Of those whom you have given me, I have lost none1245“) might be fulfilled.
10Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus. 11Jesus commanded Peter, “Put the sword into its sheath! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”
12At this, the band of soldiers, the commanding officer, and the officers of the Jews took hold of Jesus and bound him. 13They first led him to Annas because he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was the high priest1246 that year. 14Now it was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it was better that one man should perish for the [entire] people.
Peter’s denial—The Lord before Annas
15Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did the other disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest and entered in with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard. 16But Peter was standing at the door outside. So, the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the woman who guarded the door, and brought Peter in. 17Then the servant girl who kept the door asked Peter, “Are you also one of this man’s disciples?”
Peter replied, “I am not!”
18Now it was cold, and the slaves and officers were standing there, around a charcoal fire they had made. As they were warming themselves, Peter was with them, standing and warming himself.
19Meanwhile, the high priest asked Jesus about his disciples, and about his teaching. 20Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues, and in the temple, where the Jews always meet. I said nothing in secret! 21Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I told them. Behold, these people know what I said.”
22When Jesus had said this, one of the officers who was standing by slapped him with his hand, saying, “Do you answer the high priest like that?”
23Jesus replied, “If I have spoken evil, testify to the evil; but if [I have spoken] well, why do you strike me?”
24Now Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas, the [ruling] high priest. 25Now while Simon Peter was standing and warming himself, people said to him, “You are not also one of his disciples, are you?”
Therefore, he denied it and said, “I am not!”
26One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Did not I see you in the garden with him?”
27At this, Peter denied it again, and immediately the rooster crowed.
Before Pilate
28Then Jesus was taken from Caiaphas to the Praetorium. It was early, and the Jews1247 themselves did not enter into the Praetorium in order not to be made ritually impure1248 and to be able to eat the Passover. 29For this reason, Pilate went out to them and asked, “What accusation do you bring against this man?”
30”If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”
31At this, Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.”
Then the Jews told him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death!” 32(This was to fulfill the word which Jesus had spoken, by which he had indicated by what kind of death he would die).
33So Pilate went back into the Praetorium. Having called Jesus, he asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
34Jesus answered, “Do you say this by yourself, or did others tell you about me?”
35Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered you to me. What have you done?”
36Jesus replied, “My Kingdom is not of this world! If my Kingdom were of this world, my servants would have fought so that I would not be delivered to the Jews. But as it is, my Kingdom is not from here.”
37Pilate therefore said to him, “Are you a king then?”
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. I was born and I have come into the world for this reason: that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is ‘of the truth’ listens to my voice.”
38Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
After saying this, he went out again to the Jews, and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. 39But you have a custom, that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Therefore, do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
40Then they all shouted back, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a rebel.
The Lord is flogged, mocked, condemned
- Greek “he”
- Or perhaps an olive grove
- Greek VEgw, eivmi
- Greek VEgw, eivmi
- John 6:39
- Greek avrciereu.j
- Greek “they”
- Or “defiled”
Text: The Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible, New Testament (EOB). Used with permission.
