And when he had said this, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, “Answerest thou the high priest so?”

Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why smitest thou me?”

Annas therefore sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest.

Now the chief priests and the whole council sought witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found it not.  For many bare false witness against him, and their witness agreed not together.  And there stood up certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, “We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.”  And not even so did their witness agree together.

And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, “Answerest thou nothing?  What is it which these witness against thee?”

But he held his peace, and answered nothing.

And the high priest said unto him, “I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou art the Christ, the Son of God.”

And Jesus said, “I am:  and ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

And the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, “What further need have we of witnesses?  Ye have heard the blasphemy:  what think ye?”

And they all condemned him to be worthy of death.

Then did they spit in his face and buffet him.  And they blindfolded him and smote him with the palms of their hands, saying, “Prophesy unto us, thou Christ:  who is he that struck thee?”

THE DENIAL OF PETER.

And as Peter was beneath in the court, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest; and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and saith, “Thou also wast with the Nazarene, even Jesus.”

But he denied, saying, “I neither know nor understand what thou sayest,” and he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.

And after a little while they that stood by came and said to Peter, “Of a truth thou also art one of them; for thy speech maketh thee known.”

Then began he to curse and to swear, “I know not the man.”  And straightway the cock crew.

And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter.  And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how that he said unto him, “Before the cock crow twice thou shalt deny me thrice.”

And he went out, and wept bitterly.

* * * * *

And straightway in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him up to Pilate, the governor.

THE REMORSE OF JUDAS.

Then Judas, who betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood.”