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John 18
Living Bible
John 18
Living Bible
18 After saying these things Jesus crossed the Kidron ravine with his disciples and entered a grove of olive trees. 2 Judas, the betrayer, knew this place, for Jesus had gone there many times with his disciples.
3 The chief priests and Pharisees had given Judas a squad of soldiers and police to accompany him. Now with blazing torches, lanterns, and weapons they arrived at the olive grove.
4-5 Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him. Stepping forward to meet them he asked, “Whom are you looking for?”
“Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.
“I am he,” Jesus said. 6 And as he said it, they all fell backwards to the ground!
7 Once more he asked them, “Whom are you searching for?”
And again they replied, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
8 “I told you I am he,” Jesus said; “and since I am the one you are after, let these others go.” 9 He did this to carry out the prophecy he had just made, “I have not lost a single one of those you gave me. . . . ”
10 Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the High Priest’s servant.
11 But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword away. Shall I not drink from the cup the Father has given me?”
12 So the Jewish police, with the soldiers and their lieutenant, arrested Jesus and tied him. 13 First they took him to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the High Priest that year. 14 Caiaphas was the one who told the other Jewish leaders, “Better that one should die for all.”
15 Simon Peter followed along behind, as did another of the disciples who was acquainted with the High Priest. So that other disciple was permitted into the courtyard along with Jesus, 16 while Peter stood outside the gate. Then the other disciple spoke to the girl watching at the gate, and she let Peter in. 17 The girl asked Peter, “Aren’t you one of Jesus’ disciples?”
“No,” he said, “I am not!”
18 The police and the household servants were standing around a fire they had made, for it was cold. And Peter stood there with them, warming himself.
19 Inside, the High Priest began asking Jesus about his followers and what he had been teaching them.
20 Jesus replied, “What I teach is widely known, for I have preached regularly in the synagogue and Temple; I have been heard by all the Jewish leaders and teach nothing in private that I have not said in public. 21 Why are you asking me this question? Ask those who heard me. You have some of them here. They know what I said.”
22 One of the soldiers standing there struck Jesus with his fist. “Is that the way to answer the High Priest?” he demanded.
23 “If I lied, prove it,” Jesus replied. “Should you hit a man for telling the truth?”
24 Then Annas sent Jesus, bound, to Caiaphas the High Priest.
25 Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire, he was asked again, “Aren’t you one of his disciples?”
“Of course not,” he replied.
26 But one of the household slaves of the High Priest—a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off—asked, “Didn’t I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus?”
27 Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed.
28 Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Next he was taken to the palace of the Roman governor. His accusers wouldn’t go in themselves for that would “defile” them,[a] they said, and they wouldn’t be allowed to eat the Passover lamb. 29 So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, “What is your charge against this man? What are you accusing him of doing?”
30 “We wouldn’t have arrested him if he weren’t a criminal!” they retorted.
31 “Then take him away and judge him yourselves by your own laws,” Pilate told them.
“But we want him crucified,” they demanded, “and your approval is required.”[b] 32 This fulfilled Jesus’ prediction concerning the method of his execution.[c]
33 Then Pilate went back into the palace and called for Jesus to be brought to him. “Are you the King of the Jews?” he asked him.
34
35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate retorted. “Your own people and their chief priests brought you here. Why? What have you done?”
36 Then Jesus answered, “I am not an earthly king. If I were, my followers would have fought when I was arrested by the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of the world.”
37 Pilate replied, “But you are a king then?”
“Yes,” Jesus said. “I was born for that purpose. And I came to bring truth to the world. All who love the truth are my followers.”
38 “What is truth?” Pilate exclaimed. Then he went out again to the people and told them, “He is not guilty of any crime. 39 But you have a custom of asking me to release someone from prison each year at Passover. So if you want me to, I’ll release the ‘King of the Jews.’”
40 But they screamed back. “No! Not this man, but Barabbas!” Barabbas was a robber.
Footnotes
- John 18:28 that would “defile” them. By Jewish law, entering the house of a Gentile was a serious offense.
- John 18:31 your approval is required, literally, “it is not lawful for us to put any man to death.”
- John 18:32 prediction concerning the method of his execution. This prophecy is recorded in Matthew 20:19 and indicates his death by crucifixion, a practice under Roman law.
- John 18:34 “‘King’ as you use the word or as the Jews use it?” Jesus asked. An extended paraphrase of this verse would be, “Do you mean their King, or their Messiah?” If Pilate was asking as the Roman governor, he would be inquiring whether Jesus was setting up a rebel government. But the Jews were using the word King to mean their religious ruler, the Messiah. Literally, this verse reads: “Are you saying this of yourself, or did someone else say it about me?”
John 18
New International Version
John 18
New International Version
Jesus Arrested(A)
18 When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley.(B) On the other side there was a garden,(C) and he and his disciples went into it.(D)
2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.(E) 3 So Judas came to the garden, guiding(F) a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees.(G) They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.
4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him,(H) went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”(I)
5 “Jesus of Nazareth,”(J) they replied.
“I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6 When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
7 Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?”(K)
“Jesus of Nazareth,” they said.
8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” 9 This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.”[a](L)
10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)
11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup(M) the Father has given me?”
12 Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials(N) arrested Jesus. They bound him 13 and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas,(O) the high priest that year. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people.(P)
Peter’s First Denial(Q)
15 Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest,(R) he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard,(S) 16 but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there and brought Peter in.
17 “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” she asked Peter.
He replied, “I am not.”(T)
18 It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire(U) they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.(V)
The High Priest Questions Jesus(W)
19 Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
20 “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues(X) or at the temple,(Y) where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret.(Z) 21 Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.”
22 When Jesus said this, one of the officials(AA) nearby slapped him in the face.(AB) “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded.
23 “If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?”(AC) 24 Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas(AD) the high priest.
Peter’s Second and Third Denials(AE)
25 Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself.(AF) So they asked him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?”
He denied it, saying, “I am not.”(AG)
26 One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off,(AH) challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?”(AI) 27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.(AJ)
Jesus Before Pilate(AK)
28 Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor.(AL) By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace,(AM) because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.(AN) 29 So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”
30 “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”
31 Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”
“But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. 32 This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.(AO)
33 Pilate then went back inside the palace,(AP) summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”(AQ)
34 “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”
35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”
36 Jesus said, “My kingdom(AR) is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders.(AS) But now my kingdom is from another place.”(AT)
37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth.(AU) Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”(AV)
38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.(AW) 39 But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”
40 They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.(AX)
Footnotes
- John 18:9 John 6:39
Living Bible (TLB)
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.