Matthew 26:47–67

JUDAS’S BETRAYAL OF JESUS

⁴⁷While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, suddenly arrived.^f A large mob with swords and clubs was with him from the chief priests and elders of the people. ⁴⁸His betrayer had given them a sign: “The one I kiss, he’s the one; arrest him.” ⁴⁹So immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.

⁵⁰“Friend,”^g Jesus asked him, “why have you come?”^D

Then they came up, took hold of Jesus, and arrested him. ⁵¹At that moment one of those with Jesus reached out his hand and drew his sword. He struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his ear.^h

⁵²Then Jesus told him, “Put your sword back in its place because all who take up the sword will perish by the sword.^{i 53}Or do you think that I cannot call on my Father, and he will provide me here and now with more than twelve legions of angels?^{j 54}How, then, would the Scriptures be fulfilled^k that say it must happen this way?”

⁵⁵At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as if I were a criminal,^E to capture me? Every day I used to sit, teaching in the temple, and you didn’t arrest me.^{l 56}But all this has happened so that the writings of the prophets^m would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciplesⁿ deserted him and ran away.

JESUS FACES THE SANHEDRIN

⁵⁷Those^o who had arrested Jesus led him away to Caiaphas^p the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had convened. ⁵⁸Peter was following him at a distance right to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and was sitting with the servants to see the outcome.^q

⁵⁹The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death,^{r 60}but they could not find any, even though many false witnesses^s came forward.^F Finally, two^G who came forward ⁶¹stated, “This man said, ‘I can destroy the temple of God^t and rebuild it in three days.’ ”

⁶²The high priest stood up and said to him, “Don’t you have an answer to what these men are testifying against you?” ⁶³But^u Jesus kept silent.^v The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath^w by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”^x

⁶⁴“You have said it,” Jesus told him. “But I tell you, in the future^A you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”^By

⁶⁵Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed!^z Why do we still need witnesses? See, now you’ve heard the blasphemy.^{aa 66}What is your decision?”

They answered, “He deserves death!”^{ab 67}Then they spat in his face^ac and beat him; others slapped him