53 The guards led Yeshua away to the chief priest’s residence, and all the chief priests and the elders and the religious teachers gathered there also. 54 Peter followed along from a distance and went in as far as the courtyard of the residence where he joined the servants who were sitting around the fire keeping warm. 55 Inside, the chief priests and all the council were trying to establish a case against Yeshua so he could be sentenced to death, but they weren’t coming up with anything. 56 Several were making up charges against him, but none of the accusers’ stories agreed with each other.

57 Eventually some of them stood up and offered this false charge: 58 [ref]“We heard him say that he would demolish this temple made by many labourers, and within three days he’d build another one without any helpers.” 59 But even then, they couldn’t get their accusations to align with each other.

60 Nevertheless the chief priest in the middle of the council stood up and asked Yeshua, “Aren’t you going to defend yourself? These men are accusing you of these things.”

61 But Yeshua didn’t say anything. So the chief priest asked again, “Is it true that you’re the chosen one that God promised to send—the son of the blessed God?”

62 [ref]Yeshua replied, “I am. And you will all see humanity’s child sitting in the honoured position by the powerful God and coming through the clouds in the sky.”

63 Then the chief priest tore his own robe to show his disgust and shouted, “We certainly don’t need any more witnesses now! 64 [ref]You yourselves all heard him insult God. What sentence does that deserve?”

So the leaders there agreed that Yeshua needed to be sentenced to death.

65 Then various people started spitting on him, and blindfolding him and beating him saying, “Ha, tell us who that was!” Even the servants joined in to slap him.

15 Now Simon Peter and another intern were following Yeshua, and since that other intern was known to the chief priest, he was allowed to enter following Yeshua into the courtyard of the chief priest 16 while Peter waited outside at the door. Then the other intern who was known to the chief priest went back and spoke to the woman at the door and brought Peter in too. 17 But the servant girl who was watching the door challenged Peter, “Aren’t you also one of the followers of that man?”

“No, I’m not,” he responded.

18 Meanwhile the servants and attendants had made a fire and were standing around it warming themselves, and Peter also went and stood there to warm himself.

19 Now the chief priest interrogated Yeshua about his followers and about his teaching. 20 Yeshua answered him, “I’ve spoken openly to the people. I always taught in the meeting halls and in the temple where Jewish people meet. I didn’t speak in secret 21 so why are you asking me? Ask the people who heard what I told them—they’re the ones who know what I said.”

22 When he said that, one of the attendants standing there slapped Yeshua on the face and said, “You think you can answer the chief priest like that?”

23 But Yeshua responded, “If I said anything wrong, tell me my error. But if it was true, why are you hitting me?”

24 So Annas sent him away, still tied up, to Caiaphas the chief priest.

57 Then the ones who had arrested Yeshua led him away to Caiaphas the chief priest, where the religious teachers and the local elders had gathered together. 58 Peter followed along from a distance, and went inside to the chief priest’s courtyard, where he sat with the attendants and waited to see what would happen. 59 The chief priests and the whole council tried to find people who would bring false accusations against Yeshua so they could sentence him to death, 60 but even though many people wanted to try, they couldn’t find anyone suitable. Eventually, two others came up 61 [ref]and said, “We heard this man say, ‘I’m able to demolish God’s temple and rebuild it in three days.’ ”

62 So the chief priest stood and asked Yeshua, “Don’t you have any respond to what these men are accusing you of?” 63 But Yeshua stayed silent, so then the chief priest asked him, “I order you by the living God to tell us if you’re the messiah, the son of God.”

64 [ref]“You said it,” Yeshua responded. “However, I can tell you all that from now on, you’ll see humanity’s child sitting beside God in the position of power and coming in the clouds in the sky.”

65 [ref]Then the chief priest tore his robes and said, “He belittled God. Why would we need more witnesses after that? See here, you all heard him slander God. 66 What do you all think now?

“He should get the death penalty,” they answered.

67 [ref]Then they spat in Yeshua’s face and they beat him and slapped him 68 saying, “Prophesy to us, messiah. Who was it that just slapped you?”

54 Then after capturing Yeshua, they led him along to the chief priest’s house, but Peter followed them from a distance. 55 The staff at the chief priest’s place had lit a fire to sit around in the middle of the courtyard and Peter slipped in with them. 56 Then a servant girl noticed him in the light and peering at him she said, “This man was with him as well.”

57 But Peter disowned him, saying, “Woman, I don’t even know him.”

58 A little while later someone else noticed him and said, “You’re also one of them!”

“Man, I’m not!” Peter retorted.

59 About an hour later, someone else insisted on saying, “This fellow was definitely with him because he’s also a Galilean!”

60 “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Peter responded, and while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.

61 Just then the master turned at looked at Peter and he suddenly remembered what the master had said, “Before the rooster crows today, three times you’ll deny even knowing me.” 62 Then Peter went out of the courtyard and cried like a baby.

63 Meanwhile the officers who were holding Yeshua started mocking him and beating him. 64 They blindfolded him and then challenged him, “Prophesy and tell us who just slapped you!” 65 as well as saying many other things to insult him.

66 As the daylight came, the council of local elders including both the chief priests and the religious teachers, gathered together and Yeshua was led in to the council 67 who demanded, “If you’re the messiah, tell us so.”

“Even if I told you,” he replied, “you certainly wouldn’t believe me, 68 and if I asked you all anything, you certainly wouldn’t answer. 69 But from now on, humanity’s child will be sitting in the seat of power on God’s right.”

70 “So then you are God’s son!” they all reacted.

“Well, you all are saying that I am,” he said.

71 “Why would we need any more witnesses than this?” they asked, “because we heard it ourselves straight out of his mouth.”