John 18 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

After Jesus said all this, he headed out with his followers and crossed the Kidron Valley ravine. There was an olive grove on the other side, and he went into it with his followers.

Now Judas, the one who was handing him over, also knew the spot because Jesus had met there often with his followers.

So Judas brought a detachment of Roman soldiers along with some temple guards sent by the chief priests and the Pharisees. They came carrying torches, lanterns, and weapons.

Jesus, fully aware of everything that was about to happen to him, stepped forward and asked them, "Who are you looking for?"

"Jesus of Nazareth," they answered. "I am he," Jesus told them. (Judas, the one handing him over, was standing right there with them.)

The moment Jesus said "I am he," they stumbled backward and fell to the ground.

So he asked them again, "Who are you looking for?" And again they said, "Jesus of Nazareth."

"I already told you — I am he," Jesus answered. "So if it's me you're after, let these others go."

This happened so that what he'd said earlier would come true: "I haven't lost a single one of those you gave me."

Then Simon Peter, who had a short sword on him, pulled it out and swung at the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.

Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword away! Do you think I'm not going to drink the cup my Father has given me?"

So the Roman soldiers, their commanding officer, and the Jewish temple guards seized Jesus and tied him up.

They brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas — the high priest that year.

Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be better for one man to die for the sake of the people.

Simon Peter and another follower trailed behind Jesus. That other follower was known to the high priest, so he was able to go right into the high priest's courtyard with Jesus.

But Peter was left standing outside at the gate. So the other follower — the one the high priest knew — went back out and spoke to the woman watching the gate, and she let Peter in.

The servant woman at the gate said to Peter, "Wait — aren't you one of that man's followers too?" "No, I'm not," he said.

It was cold, so the servants and temple guards had made a charcoal fire and were standing around it, warming themselves. Peter stood there with them, warming himself too.

Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his followers and his teaching.

Jesus answered him, "I've spoken openly to the world. I always taught in the synagogues and in the temple — places where all the Jewish people gather. I never said anything in secret."

Why are you asking me? Ask the people who heard me. They know what I said.

When Jesus said this, one of the temple guards standing nearby slapped him across the face. "Is that any way to answer the high priest?" he demanded.

Jesus replied, "If I said something wrong, point out what it was. But if I spoke the truth, why are you hitting me?"

Then Annas sent him, still tied up, to Caiaphas the high priest.

Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself by the fire. So they asked him, "You're not one of his followers too, are you?" Peter denied it. "No, I'm not," he said.

One of the high priest's servants — a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off — challenged him: "Didn't I see you in the olive grove with him?"

Peter denied it again. And right at that moment, a rooster crowed.

Early in the morning, they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the Roman governor's headquarters. The Jewish leaders wouldn't go inside the building themselves — they didn't want to become ritually contaminated, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover meal.

So Pilate came outside to them and asked, "What charges are you bringing against this man?"

"If he weren't a criminal, we wouldn't have brought him to you," they replied.

Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." The Jewish leaders objected, "We don't have the authority to execute anyone."

This happened so that what Jesus had said about the way he was going to die would come true.

Pilate went back inside the headquarters, called for Jesus, and asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?"

Jesus responded, "Are you asking because you genuinely want to know, or did other people tell you about me?"

"I'm not Jewish, am I?" Pilate shot back. "Your own people and their chief priests handed you over to me. What did you do?"

Jesus answered, "My kingdom doesn't come from this world. If it did, my people would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my kingdom? It's from somewhere else entirely."

"So you are a king then?" Pilate pressed. Jesus replied, "You're the one calling me a king. The reason I was born — the reason I came into the world — is to be a witness to the truth. Everyone who lives by the truth listens to my voice."

"What is truth?" Pilate said. After he said this, he went back out to the Jewish leaders and told them, "I find nothing to charge him with."

"But you have a custom — I release one prisoner to you at Passover. So do you want me to release the 'King of the Jews'?"

They shouted back, "Not him! Give us Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a violent rebel.