The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

181 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron , where there was a garden , in which He entered with His disciples . 2 Now Judas also , who was betraying Him, knew the place , for Jesus had often met there with His disciples . 3 Judas then , having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees , came there with lanterns and torches and weapons . 4 So Jesus , knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, " Whom do you seek ?" 5 They answered Him, "Jesus the Nazarene ." He said to them, "I am He." And Judas also , who was betraying Him, was standing with them. 6 So when He said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground . 7 Therefore He again asked them, " Whom do you seek ?" And they said , "Jesus the Nazarene ." 8 Jesus answered , "I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way ," 9 to fulfill the word which He spoke , " Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one ." 10 Simon Peter then , having a sword , drew it and struck the high priest's slave , and cut off his right ear ; and the slave's name was Malchus . 11 So Jesus said to Peter , "Put the sword into the sheath ; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?"

Jesus Brought before the High Priest

12 So the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews , arrested Jesus and bound Him,

13 and led Him to Annas first ; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas , who was high priest that year . 14 Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people .

Peter in the High Priest's Court

15 Simon Peter was following Jesus , and so was another disciple . Now that disciple was known to the high priest , and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest , 16 but Peter was standing at the door outside . So the other disciple , who was known to the high priest , went out and spoke to the doorkeeper , and brought Peter in. 17 Then the slave-girl who kept the door said to Peter , " You are not also one of this man's disciples , are you?" He said , "I am not." 18 Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire , for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself.

The High Priest Questions Jesus

19 The high priest then questioned Jesus about His disciples , and about His teaching . 20 Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world ; I always taught in synagogues and in the temple , where all the Jews come together ; and I spoke nothing in secret . 21 "Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; they know what I said ." 22 When He had said this , one of the officers standing nearby struck e Jesus , saying , "Is that the way You answer the high priest ?" 23 Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken wrongly , testify of the wrong ; but if rightly , why do you strike Me?" 24 So Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest .

Peter Denies Jesus

25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, " You are not also one of His disciples , are you?" He denied it, and said , "I am not." 26 One of the slaves of the high priest , being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off , said , "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?" 27 Peter then denied it again , and immediately a rooster crowed .

Jesus before Pilate

28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium , and it was early ; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled , but might eat the Passover . 29 Therefore Pilate went out to them and said , "What accusation do you bring against this Man ?" 30 They answered and said to him, "If this Man were not an evildoer , we would not have delivered Him to you." 31 So Pilate said to them, "Take Him yourselves , and judge Him according to your law ." The Jews said to him, "We are not permitted to put anyone to death ," 32 to fulfill the word of Jesus which He spoke , signifying by what kind of death He was about to die . 33 Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium , and summoned Jesus and said to Him, " Are You the King of the Jews ?" 34 Jesus answered , "Are you saying this on your own initiative , or did others tell you about Me?" 35 Pilate answered , "I am not a Jew , am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done ?" 36 Jesus answered , " My kingdom is not of this world . If My kingdom were of this world , then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews ; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm ." 37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king ?" Jesus answered , " You say correctly that I am a king . For this I have been born , and for this I have come into the world , to testify to the truth . Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice ." 38 Pilate said to Him, "What is truth ?" And when he had said this , he went out again to the Jews and said to them, " I find no guilt in Him.

Jesus Sentenced to Die

39 " But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover ; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews ?" 40 So they cried out again , saying , " Not this Man , but Barabbas ." Now Barabbas was a robber .

Jesus and Nicodemus

31 Now there was a man of the Pharisees , named Nicodemus , a ruler of the Jews ; 2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, " Rabbi , we know that You have come from God as a teacher ; for no one can do these signs that You do unless e God is with him." 3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly , truly , I say to you, unless e one is born again he cannot e see the kingdom of God ." 4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old ? He cannot e enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born , can he?" 5 Jesus answered , "Truly , truly , I say to you, unless e one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot e enter into the kingdom of God . 6 " That which is born of the flesh is flesh , and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit . 7 "Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again .' 8 " The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going ; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit ." 9 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be?" 10 Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things ? 11 "Truly , truly , I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen , and you do not accept our testimony . 12 "If I told you earthly things and you do not believe , how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things ? 13 " No one has ascended into heaven , but He who descended from heaven : the Son of Man . 14 "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness , even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life .

God So Loved the World

16 "For God so loved the world , that He gave His only begotten Son , that whoever believes in Him shall not perish , but have eternal life . 17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world , but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 " He who believes in Him is not judged ; he who does not believe has been judged already , because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God . 19 "This is the judgment , that the Light has come into the world , and men loved the darkness rather than the Light , for their deeds were evil . 20 " For everyone who does evil hates the Light , and does not come to the Light for fear e that his deeds will be exposed . 21 "But he who practices the truth comes to the Light , so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God ."

He Must Increase, but I Must Decrease

22 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea , and there He was spending time with them and baptizing . 23 John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim , because there was much water there ; and people were coming and were being baptized - 24 for John had not yet been thrown into prison . 25 Therefore there arose a discussion on the part of John's disciples with a Jew about purification . 26 And they came to John and said to him, " Rabbi , He who was with you beyond the Jordan , to whom you have testified , behold , He is baptizing and all are coming to Him." 27 John answered and said , " A man can receive nothing e unless e it has been given him from heaven . 28 "You yourselves are my witnesses that I said , ' I am not the Christ ,' but, 'I have been sent ahead of Him.' 29 "He who has the bride is the bridegroom ; but the friend of the bridegroom , who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice . So this joy of mine has been made full . 30 "He must increase , but I must decrease .

The Testimony from Heaven

31 " He who comes from above is above all , he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth . He who comes from heaven is above all . 32 "What He has seen and heard , of that He testifies ; and no one receives His testimony . 33 "He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true . 34 "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God ; for He gives the Spirit without e measure . 35 " The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand . 36 "He who believes in the Son has eternal life ; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life , but the wrath of God abides on him."