1 The oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.^[a]

The Lord's Love for Israel

^2 (A)“I have loved you,” says the Lord. ^(B)But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau ^(C)Jacob's brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet ^(D)I have loved Jacob ³ but Esau I have hated. ^(E)I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” ⁴ If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the Lord of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the Lord is angry forever.’” ^5 (F)Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel!”

The Priests' Polluted Offerings

^6 (G)“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am ^(H)a father, where is my honor? And if I am ^(I)a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. ^(J)But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ ^7 (K)By offering polluted food upon my altar. ^(L)But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that ^(M)the Lord's table may be despised. ^8 (N)When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts. ⁹ And now ^(O)entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, ^(P)will he show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts. ^10 (Q)Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, ^(R)and I will not accept an offering from your hand. ¹¹ For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name ^(S)will be^[b] great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name ^(T)will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. ¹² But you profane it when you say that ^(U)the Lord's table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. ¹³ But you say, ^(V)‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. ^(W)You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord. ¹⁴ Cursed be the cheat who has ^(X)a male in his flock, and ^(Y)vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For ^(Z)I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name ^(AA)will be feared among the nations.

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

18 When Jesus had spoken these words, ^(A)he went out with his disciples across ^(B)the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. ² Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew ^(C)the place, for ^(D)Jesus often met there with his disciples. ^3 (E)So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. ⁴ Then Jesus, ^(F)knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, ^(G)“Whom do you seek?” ⁵ They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.”^[a] Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. ^6 (H)When Jesus^[b] said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. ⁷ So he asked them again, ^(I)“Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” ⁸ Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” ^9 (J)This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.” ¹⁰ Then Simon Peter, ^(K)having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant^[c] and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) ¹¹ So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; ^(L)shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

Jesus Faces Annas and Caiaphas

¹² So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews^[d] arrested Jesus and bound him. ¹³ First they ^(M)led him to ^(N)Annas, for he was the father-in-law of ^(O)Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. ¹⁴ It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews ^(P)that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.

Peter Denies Jesus

^15 (Q)Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, ^16 (R)but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. ^17 (S)The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man's disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” ¹⁸ Now the servants^[e] and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. ^(T)Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.

The High Priest Questions Jesus

^19 (U)The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. ²⁰ Jesus answered him, “I have spoken ^(V)openly ^(W)to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. ^(X)I have said nothing in secret. ²¹ Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.” ²² When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, ^(Y)“Is that how you answer the high priest?” ²³ Jesus answered him, “If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?” ^24 (Z)Annas then sent him bound to ^(AA)Caiaphas the high priest.

Peter Denies Jesus Again

^25 (AB)Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not 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 ^(AC)the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you ^(AD)in the garden with him?” ²⁷ Peter again denied it, and ^(AE)at once a rooster crowed.

Jesus Before Pilate

^28 (AF)Then they led Jesus ^(AG)from the house of Caiaphas to ^(AH)the governor's headquarters.^[f] It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters, ^(AI)so that they would not be defiled, ^(AJ)but could eat the Passover. ^29 (AK)So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” ³⁰ They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” ³¹ Pilate said to them, ^(AL)“Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” ^32 (AM)This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken ^(AN)to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

My Kingdom Is Not of This World

^33 (AO)So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, ^(AP)“Are you the King of the Jews?” ³⁴ Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” ³⁵ Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” ³⁶ Jesus answered, ^(AQ)“My kingdom ^(AR)is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, ^(AS)my servants would have been fighting, that ^(AT)I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” ³⁷ Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, ^(AU)“You say that I am a king. ^(AV)For this purpose I was born and for this purpose ^(AW)I have come into the world—^(AX)to bear witness to the truth. ^(AY)Everyone who is ^(AZ)of the truth ^(BA)listens to my voice.” ³⁸ Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

After he had said this, ^(BB)he went back outside to the Jews and told them, ^(BC)“I find no guilt in him. ^39 (BD)But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” ⁴⁰ They cried out again, ^(BE)“Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.^[g]