Matthew 26:57–75

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 ⁶⁸said, “Prophesy for us, Messiah! Guess who hit you!”

Peter Denies Jesus

⁶⁹Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard when one of the High Priest’s servant women came to him and said, “You, too, were with Jesus of Galilee.”

⁷⁰But he denied it in front of them all. “I don’t know what you are talking about,” he answered, ⁷¹and went on out to the entrance of the courtyard. Another servant woman saw him and said to the men there, “He was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

⁷²Again Peter denied it and answered, “I swear that I don’t know that man!”

⁷³After a little while the men standing there came to Peter. “Of course you are one of them,” they said. “After all, the way you speak gives you away!”

⁷⁴Then Peter said, “I swear that I am telling the truth! May God punish me if I am not! I do not know that man!”

Just then a cock crowed, ⁷⁵and Peter remembered what Jesus had told him: “Before the cock crows, you will say three times that you do not know me.” He went out and wept bitterly.