The High Priest Questions Jesus

¹⁹ Then the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching.^(A)

The Mocking and Beating of Jesus

⁶³ Now the men who were holding Jesus^[a] began to mock him and beat him;^{(A) 64} they also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it who struck you?” ⁶⁵ They kept heaping many other insults on him.

Jesus before the Council

⁶⁶ When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, gathered together, and they brought him to their council.^{(B) 67} They said, “If you are the Messiah,^[b] tell us.” He replied, “If I tell you, you will not believe,^{(C) 68} and if I question you, you will not answer.^{[c] 69} But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” ⁷⁰ All of them asked, “Are you, then, the Son of God?” He said to them, “You say that I am.”^{(D) 71} Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!”

The Question about Paying Tribute

²⁰ So they watched him and sent spies who pretended to be honest, in order to trap him by what he said and then to hand him over to the jurisdiction and authority of the governor.

⁵³ When he went outside, the scribes and the Pharisees became hostile to him and began to interrogate him about many things, ⁵⁴ lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.^(A)

⁵⁵ Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. ⁵⁶ For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony did not agree. ⁵⁷ Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying, ⁵⁸ “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’ ”^{(A) 59} But even on this point their testimony did not agree. ⁶⁰ Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?” ⁶¹ But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah,^[a] the Son of the Blessed One?”^{(B) 62} Jesus said, “I am, and

⁶³ Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses?^{(D) 64} You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?” All of them condemned him as deserving death.^{(E) 65} Some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” The guards also took him and beat him.^(F)

⁵⁹ Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death, ⁶⁰ but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward^{(A) 61} and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ”^{(B) 62} The high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?” ⁶³ But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I put you under oath before the living God, tell us if you are the Messiah,^[a] the Son of God.”^{(C) 64} Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you,

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy.^{(E) 66} What do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death.”^{(F) 67} Then they spat in his face and struck him, and some slapped him,^{(G) 68} saying, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah!^[b] Who is it that struck you?”