John 11:46–54

⁴⁶But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷Then the chief priests and the Pharisees^u called a meeting^v of the Sanhedrin.^w

“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs.^{x 48}If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”

⁴⁹Then one of them, named Caiaphas,^y who was high priest that year,^z spoke up, “You know nothing at all! ⁵⁰You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”^a

⁵¹He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, ⁵²and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.^{b 53}So from that day on they plotted to take his life.^c

⁵⁴Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea.^d Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.