John 18

¹After saying these things, Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron ravine, where there was a garden, and he and his disciples entered it. ²Now Judas, who was betraying him, also knew the place, because Jesus had often gathered there with his disciples. ³So Judas, having received the cohort and officers from the chief priests and from the Pharisees, comes there with torches, lanterns, and weapons.

⁴Then Jesus, knowing everything that was coming upon him, went out and says to them, "Who are you looking for?"

⁵They answered him, "Jesus the Nazorean." He says to them, "I am." Now Judas, who was betraying him, was also standing with them. ⁶So when he said to them, "I am," they drew back and fell to the ground.

⁷Again, then, he asked them, "Who are you looking for?" And they said, "Jesus the Nazorean."

⁸Jesus answered, "I told you that I am. So if you are looking for me, let these men go"— ⁹so that the word he had spoken might be fulfilled: "Of those you have given me, I have not lost a single one of them."

¹⁰Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's slave and cut off his right ear. The slave's name was Malchus. ¹¹So Jesus said to Peter, "Put the sword into its sheath. The cup that the Father has given me—shall I not drink it?"

¹²Then the cohort, the tribune, and the officers of the Jews seized Jesus and bound him, ¹³and they led him first to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. ¹⁴Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people.

¹⁵Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. That disciple was known to the high priest and entered with Jesus into the high priest's courtyard, ¹⁶but Peter was standing outside at the door. So the other disciple, the one known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper and brought Peter in.

¹⁷Then the servant-girl who was the doorkeeper says to Peter, "You're not also one of this man's disciples, are you?" He says, "I am not."

¹⁸Now the slaves and the officers were standing around a charcoal fire they had made, because it was cold, and they were warming themselves. Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself.

¹⁹The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. ²⁰Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogue and in the temple, where all the Jews gather together, and I have said nothing in secret. ²¹Why do you question me? Question those who have heard what I said to them. Look—these people know what I said."

²²When he said these things, one of the officers standing nearby gave Jesus a slap, saying, "Is this how you answer the high priest?"

²³Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken wrongly, testify about what is wrong. But if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?"

²⁴Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.

²⁵Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, "You're not also one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not."

²⁶One of the high priest's slaves, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, says, "Didn't I see you in the garden with him?"

²⁷Again, then, Peter denied it, and immediately a rooster crowed.

²⁸Then they lead Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the praetorium, so that they would not be defiled but could eat the Passover. ²⁹So Pilate came out to them and says, "What accusation do you bring against this man?"

³⁰They answered and said to him, "If this man were not doing evil, we would not have handed him over to you."

³¹Then Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law." The Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to execute anyone"— ³²so that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled that he had spoken, indicating by what kind of death he was going to die.

³³So Pilate entered the praetorium again and summoned Jesus and said to him, "Are you the King of the Jews?"

³⁴Jesus answered, "Are you saying this on your own, or did others tell you about me?"

³⁵Pilate answered, "I'm not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?"

³⁶Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would have been fighting to prevent me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here."

³⁷Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world: to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is from the truth hears my voice."

³⁸Pilate says to him, "What is truth?" After saying this, he went out again to the Jews and says to them, "I find no case against him. ³⁹But you have a custom that I release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?"

⁴⁰Then they shouted back, saying, "Not this man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a bandit.