John 18

¹When Jesus had said these things, he went out with his disciples across the wadi of the Kidron, where there was a garden, into which he entered, he and his disciples.

²Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place, because Jesus had often gathered there with His disciples.

³So Judas, having taken the cohort and officers from the chief priests and from the Pharisees, comes there with lanterns and torches and weapons.

⁴Jesus therefore, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went out and said to them, Whom do you seek?

⁵They answered him, Jesus the Nazarene. He says to them, Jesus, I am he. Now Judas also, who was betraying him, was standing with them.

⁶When therefore He said to them, I am he, they drew back and fell to the ground.

⁷So again he questioned them, Whom do you seek? And they said, Jesus the Nazarene.

⁸Jesus answered, I told you that I am he. If therefore you seek Me, let these go their way;

⁹This was so that the word might be fulfilled that he had spoken, Of those whom you have given me, I lost not one.

¹⁰Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear; now the servant's name was Malchus.

¹¹So Jesus said to Peter, Put your sword into the sheath. The cup that the Father has given me, shall I not drink it?

¹²Then the cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews seized Jesus and bound Him,

¹³And they led him to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.

¹⁴Now it was Caiaphas who had counseled the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people.

¹⁵Now Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. And that disciple was known to the high priest, and he entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest,

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 doorkeeper and brought Peter in.

¹⁷Then the servant girl, the doorkeeper, said to Peter, You are not also one of this man's disciples, are you? He said, I am not.

¹⁸Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were warming themselves; and Peter also was standing with them 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 always taught in the synagogue and in the temple, where all the Jews come together, and in secret I spoke nothing.

²¹Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; behold, these know what I said.

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

²³Jesus answered him, If I spoke wrongly, testify about the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?

²⁴So Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

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

²⁶One of the slaves of the high priest, being a kinsman of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, says, Did I not see you in the garden with him?

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

²⁸So they lead Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium. Now it was early morning, and they themselves did not enter the praetorium, so that they might not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.

²⁹Pilate therefore went out to them and said, 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.

³¹So Pilate said to them, Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your own law. The Jews said to him, It is not permitted us to put anyone to death.

³²This happened so that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled which He had spoken, signifying by what manner of death He was about to die.

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

³⁴Jesus answered, Do you say this of yourself, or did others say it to you about Me?

³⁵Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?

³⁶Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting, so that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not from here.

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

³⁸Pilate said to Him, What is truth? And having said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, I find no guilt in Him.

³⁹But you have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at the Passover. So do you wish that I release to you the King of the Jews?

⁴⁰They cried out therefore again, all of them saying, Not this man, but Barabbas! Now Barabbas was an insurrectionist.