John 18:19-40

New King James Version

Jesus Questioned by the High Priest

¹⁹ The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.

²⁰ Jesus answered him, ^(A)“I spoke openly to the world. I always taught ^(B)in synagogues and ^(C)in the temple, where ^[a]the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. ²¹ Why do you ask Me? Ask ^(D)those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said.”

²² And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by ^(E)struck^[b] Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?”

²³ Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?”

^24 (F)Then Annas sent Him bound to ^(G)Caiaphas the high priest.

Peter Denies Twice More

²⁵ Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. ^(H)Therefore 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 servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” ²⁷ Peter then denied again; and ^(I)immediately a rooster crowed.

In Pilate’s Court^(J)

^28 (K)Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. ^(L)But they themselves did not go into the ^[c]Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. ^29 (M)Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”

³⁰ They answered and said to him, “If He were not ^[d]an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”

³¹ Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.”

Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” ^32 (N)that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, ^(O)signifying by what death He would die.

^33 (P)Then Pilate entered the ^[e]Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

³⁴ Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”

³⁵ Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”

^36 (Q)Jesus answered, ^(R)“My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

³⁷ Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”

Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, ^(S)that I should bear ^(T)witness to the truth. Everyone who ^(U)is of the truth ^(V)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, ^(W)“I find no fault in Him at all.

Taking the Place of Barabbas^(X)

^39 (Y)“But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

^40 (Z)Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” ^(AA)Now Barabbas was a robber.