Matthew 26:47–67

The Arrest of Jesus

⁴⁷Jesus was still speaking when Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs and sent by the chief priests and the elders. ⁴⁸The traitor had given the crowd a signal: “The man I kiss is the one you want. Arrest him!”

⁴⁹Judas went straight to Jesus and said, “Peace be with you, Teacher,” and kissed him.

⁵⁰Jesus answered, “Be quick about it, friend!”^a

Then they came up, arrested Jesus, and held him tight. ⁵¹One of those who were with Jesus drew his sword and struck at the High Priest’s slave, cutting off his ear. ⁵²“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “All who take the sword will die by the sword. ⁵³Don’t you know that I could call on my Father for help, and at once he would send me more than twelve armies of angels? ⁵⁴But in that case, how could the Scriptures come true which say that this is what must happen?”

^55*Then Jesus spoke to the crowd, “Did you have to come with swords and clubs to capture me, as though I were an outlaw? Every day I sat down and taught in the Temple, and you did not arrest me. ⁵⁶But all this has happened in order to make what the prophets wrote in the Scriptures come true.”

Then all the disciples left him and ran away.

Jesus Before the Council

⁵⁷Those who had arrested Jesus took him to the house of Caiaphas, the High Priest, where the teachers of the Law and the elders had gathered together. ⁵⁸Peter followed from a distance, as far as the courtyard of the High Priest’s house. He went into the courtyard and sat down with the guards to see how it would all come out. ⁵⁹The chief priests and the whole Council tried to find some false evidence against Jesus to put him to death; ⁶⁰but they could not find any, even though many people came forward and told lies about him. Finally two men stepped up ^61*and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to tear down God’s Temple and three days later build it up again.’ ”

⁶²The High Priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Have you no answer to give to this accusation against you?” ⁶³But Jesus kept quiet. Again the High Priest spoke to him, “In the name of the living God I now put you on oath: tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

^64*Jesus answered him, “So you say. But I tell all of you: from this time on you will see the Son of Man sitting on the right of the Almighty and coming on the clouds of heaven!”

^65*At this the High Priest tore his clothes and said, “Blasphemy! We don’t need any more witnesses! You have just heard his blasphemy! ^66*What do you think?”

They answered, “He is guilty and must die.”

^67*Then they spat in his face and beat him; and those who slapped him