51. Jesus said, “Stop!” Then he touched the servant’s ear and healed him.
52. Those who came to arrest Jesus were the leading priests, the soldiers who guarded the Temple, and the Jewish elders. Jesus said to them, “Why did you come out here with swords and sticks? Do you think I am a criminal?
53. I was with you every day in the Temple. Why didn’t you try to arrest me there? But this is your time—the time when darkness rules.”
54. They arrested Jesus and took him away. They brought him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed them, but he did not go near Jesus.
55. The soldiers started a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat together. Peter sat with them.
56. A servant girl saw Peter sitting there near the light. She looked closely at Peter’s face and said, “This man was also with him!”
57. But Peter said this was not true. He said, “Girl, I don’t know him.”
58. A short time later, another person saw Peter and said, “You are also one of them.”But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”
59. About an hour later, another man insisted, “It is true! This man was with him. He is from Galilee!”
60. But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about!”Immediately, while Peter was still speaking, a rooster crowed.
61. Then the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. And Peter remembered what the Lord had said: “Before the rooster crows tonight, you will say three times that you don’t know me.”
62. Then Peter went outside and cried with much pain in his heart.
63-64. Some men were guarding Jesus. They made fun of him like this: They covered his eyes so that he could not see them. Then they hit him and said, “Prove that you are a prophet, and tell us who hit you!”
65. The men said many cruel things to Jesus.
66. When day came, the elders of the people, the leading priests, and the teachers of the law came together. They led Jesus away to their highest court.
67. They said, “If you are the Christ, then tell us that you are!”Jesus said to them, “If I tell you I am the Christ, you will not believe me.