Jesus Before the Jewish Leaders^(A)

⁵⁷ The men who arrested Jesus led him to the house of Caiaphas the high priest. The teachers of the law and the older Jewish leaders were gathered there. ⁵⁸ Peter followed Jesus but stayed back at a distance. He followed him to the yard of the high priest’s house. Peter went in and sat with the guards. He wanted to see what would happen to Jesus.

Peter Is Afraid to Say He Knows Jesus^(A)

⁶⁹ While Peter was sitting outside in the yard, a servant girl came up to him. She said, “You were with Jesus, that man from Galilee.”

⁷⁰ But Peter told everyone there that this was not true. “I don’t know what you are talking about,” he said.

⁷¹ Then he left the yard. At the gate another girl saw him and said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

⁷² Again, Peter said he was never with Jesus. He said, “I swear to God I don’t know the man!”

⁷³ A short time later those standing there went to Peter and said, “We know you are one of them. It’s clear from the way you talk.”

⁷⁴ Then Peter began to curse. He said, “I swear to God, I don’t know the man!” As soon as he said this, a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵ Then he remembered what Jesus had told him: “Before the rooster crows, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Then Peter went outside and cried bitterly.

Jesus Before the Jewish Leaders^(A)

⁵³ Those who arrested Jesus led him to the house of the high priest. All the leading priests, the older Jewish leaders, and the teachers of the law were gathered there. ⁵⁴ Peter followed Jesus but stayed back at a distance. He followed him to the yard of the high priest’s house. He went into the yard and sat there with the guards, warming himself by their fire.

Peter Is Afraid to Say He Knows Jesus^(A)

⁶⁶ While Peter was still in the yard, a servant girl of the high priest came there. ⁶⁷ She saw him warming himself by the fire. She looked closely at him and said, “You were with Jesus, that man from Nazareth.”

⁶⁸ But Peter said this was not true. “That makes no sense,” he said. “I don’t know what you are talking about!” Then he left and went to the entrance of the yard, and a rooster crowed.^[a]

⁶⁹ When the servant girl saw him there, she began saying again to the people standing around, “This man is one of them.” ⁷⁰ Again Peter said it was not true.

A short time later, the people standing there said, “We know you are one of them, because you are from Galilee.”

⁷¹ Then Peter began to curse. He said, “I swear to God, I don’t know this man you are talking about!”

⁷² As soon as Peter said this, the rooster crowed the second time. Then he remembered what Jesus had told him: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Then Peter began to cry.

Jesus Is Brought Before Annas^(A)

¹² Then the soldiers with their commander and the Jewish guards arrested Jesus. They tied him ¹³ and brought him to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas. Caiaphas was the high priest that year. ¹⁴ He was also the one who had told the other Jewish leaders that it would be better if one man died for all the people.

Peter Lies About Knowing Jesus^(B)

¹⁵ Simon Peter and another one of Jesus’ followers went with Jesus. This follower knew the high priest. So he went with Jesus into the yard of the high priest’s house. ¹⁶ But Peter waited outside near the door. The follower who knew the high priest came back outside and spoke to the gatekeeper. Then he brought Peter inside. ¹⁷ The girl at the gate said to Peter, “Are you also one of the followers of that man?”

Peter answered, “No, I am not!”

¹⁸ It was cold, so the servants and guards had built a fire. They were standing around it, warming themselves, and Peter was standing with them.