And while he was still speaking, behold, Judas c^e, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd, with swords and clubs, from the high priests and the elders of the people. And he who betrayed him told them the signal, saying: The one I kiss will be the man. Seize him. And at once he came up to Jesus and said: Hail, master; and kissed him. Jesus said to him: My friend, why are you here? Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and bound him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus put out his hand and drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and took off his ear. Then Jesus said: Put away your sword where it belongs; for all who take up the sword shall die by the sword. Or do you not believe that I have the power to call upon my father, and he will at once send more than twelve legions of angels? But then, how to fulfill what has been written, that these things must be. At that time Jesus said to the multitude: You come out to arrest me with swords and clubs as if I were a highwayman? Day by day I sat in the temple, teaching, and you did not seize me.
But all this took place so that what was written by the prophets should be fulfilled.
At that time all his disciples left him and fled away.
But they who had seized Jesus brought him to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and elders were assembled. But Peter followed him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and went inside and sat with the servingmen, to watch the event. And the high priests and the entire council were looking for some false evidence against Jesus, so that they might have him killed, and they could find none, though many false witnesses came forward. But later two came forward and spoke, saying: This man said this: I am able to tear down the temple of God and rebuild it within three days. Then the high priest stood up and said to him: Have you no answer? What is the testimony these bring against you? But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him: I charge you by the living God that you tell us whether you are the Christ, the son of God. Jesus said to him: It is you who said it. But now I say to you, presently you shall see the son of man sitting on the right of the power and walking upon the clouds of the sky. Then the priest rent his clothing, saying: He has blasphemed. Why do we still need witnesses? Behold, you have heard the blasphemy. What is your decision? They answered and said: He has deserved death. Then they spat in his face and struck him with their fists and beat him, saying: Tell us, Christ, by prophecy, who hit you?
But Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a serving girl came up to him and said: You also were with Jesus the Galilaean. But he denied it before them all, saying: I do not know what you mean. And as he went out to the gate another girl saw him and said to those who were there: This man was with Jesus the Nazarene. And again he denied it, with an oath, saying: I do not know the man. After a little those who were standing by came up to Peter and said: Truly you are one of them, for your way of speaking makes it clear. Then he began to swear with many oaths, saying: I do not know the man. And thereupon the cock crew. And Peter remembered the words of Jesus when he said: Before the cock crows you will disown me three times. And he went out and wept bitterly.
t When morning came, all the high priests and elders of the people held a meeting against Jesus, to have him killed. And they bound him and took him away and gave him over to Pilate the governor.
Then when Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that he had been condemned, he repented and proffered the thirty pieces of silver back to the high priests and the elders, saying: I did wrong to betray innocent blood. They said: What is that to us? You look to it. And he threw down the silver pieces in the temple and went away, and when he was alone he hanged himself. The high priests took up the silver pieces and said: We cannot put them in the treasury, since it is blood money. Then they took counsel together and with the money they bought the potter's field to bury strangers in. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood, to this day. Then was fulfilled the word spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: I took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price was set, whom they priced from among the sons of Israel, and I gave the money for the field of the potter, as my Lord commanded me.
Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor questioned him, saying: Are you the King of the Jews? Jesus answered: It is you who say it. And while he was being accused by the high priests and the elders he made no answer. Then Pilate said to him: Do you not hear all their testimony against you? And he made no answer to a single word, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
For the festival, the governor was accustomed to release one prisoner for the multitude, whichever one they wished. And they had at that time a notorious man, who was called Barabbas. Now as they were assembled Pilate said to them: Which one do you wish me to release for you, Barabbas, or Jesus, who is called Christ? For he knew that it was through malice that they had turned him over. Now as he was sitting on the platform, his wife sent him a message, saying: Let there be nothing between you and this just man; for I have suffered much today because of a dream about him. But the high priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. Then the governor spoke forth and said to them: Which of the two shall I give you? They answered: Barabbas. Pilate said to them: What then shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ? They all said: Let him be crucified. But Pilate said: Why? What harm has he done? But they screamed all the more, saying: Let him be crucified. And Pilate, seeing that he was doing no good and that the disorder was growing, took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying: I am innocent of the blood of this man. You see to it. And all the people answered and said: His blood is upon us and upon our children. Then Pilate gave them Barabbas, but he had Jesus flogged, and gave him over to be crucified.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus to the residence, and drew up all their battalion around him. And they stripped him and put a red mantle about him, and wove a wreath of thorns and put it on his head, and put a reed in his right hand, and knelt before him and mocked him, saying: Hail, King of the Jews. And they spat upon him and took the reed and beat him on the head. And after they had mocked him, they took off the mantle and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to be crucified. And as they went out they found a man of Cyrene, named Simon. They impressed him for carrying the cross.
Then they came to a place called Golgotha, which means the place of the skull, and gave him wine mixed with gall to drink. When he tasted it he would not drink it. Then they crucified him, and divided up his clothes, casting lots, and sat there and watched him. Over his head they put the label giving the charge against him, where it was written: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Then there were crucified with him two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. And those who passed by blasphemed against him, wagging their heads, and saying: You who tear down the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross, if you are the son of God. So too the high priests, mocking him along with the scribes and the elders, said: He saved others, he cannot save himself. He is King of Israel, let him come down from the cross and we will believe in him. He trusted in