John 18:2-23

2Judas, who sold Jesus to his enemies, knew the garden. He knew the place because Jesus and his disciples had met there often.

3The leaders of the priests and the Pharisees sent a group of soldiers and some officers with Judas. He led these soldiers and officers to the garden. The soldiers had weapons and they carried lights.

4Jesus knew everything that would soon happen to him. He went towards them and he asked them, ‘Who are you looking for?’

5They answered, ‘Jesus, who comes from Nazareth.’ Jesus said, ‘That is who I am.’ Judas, who sold Jesus to his enemies, was standing there with the soldiers.

6When Jesus said the words, ‘I am,’ the soldiers quickly moved away from him. They fell down to the ground.

7So Jesus asked them again, ‘Who are you looking for?’ They said, ‘Jesus, who comes from Nazareth.’

8Jesus replied, ‘I have told you already, that is who I am. Since it is me that you are looking for, let these other men go.’

9Jesus said this because earlier he had said, ‘I have lost none of those people that you gave to me.’ This made what he had spoken earlier really happen.

10Simon Peter had a sword. He took hold of it and he attacked the servant of the leader of the priests. He cut off the servant's right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.

11Then Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword away in its place! My Father has decided what great pain I must have. I will obey him completely.’

12The group of soldiers, with their captain and the Jewish officers, took hold of Jesus. They tied him with ropes.

13They led him first to Annas, who was the father of Caiaphas's wife. Caiaphas was the leader of the priests that year.

14It was Caiaphas who had already spoken to the Jewish leaders. He had told them, ‘It is better that one man should die on behalf of the people.’

15Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. That other disciple and the leader of the priests knew each other. So that disciple went with Jesus into the yard of the house of the leader of the priests.

16But Peter stayed outside by the gate. Then the other disciple went out again. He spoke to the girl who was watching at the gate. Then he brought Peter into the yard.

17The girl who was at the gate asked Peter, ‘Are you another of this man's disciples?’ Peter replied, ‘No, I am not!’

18It was cold. So the servants and the officers had made a fire. They were standing around it to make themselves warm. Peter went to stand with them, so that he could make himself warm too.

19The leader of the priests asked Jesus questions about his disciples. He also asked about what Jesus taught.

20Jesus answered him, ‘I have always taught in the Jewish meeting places, or at the temple. Those are public places where all the Jews meet together. I have said nothing secretly.

21So you do not need to ask me these questions. You can ask the people who heard me when I taught them. They know what I said.’

22When Jesus said this, one of the soldiers hit him on the face. The soldier said, ‘You should not speak to the leader of the priests like that!’

23Jesus replied, ‘If I said something wrong, tell us what it is. But if I said something that is true, you should not have hit me.’