John 18
New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel
John chapter 18 is given here in full, verse by verse, in the English Majority Text Version (EMTV), with the Byzantine Majority Text set beneath each verse. The text follows the Byzantine textual tradition used in the Orthodox Church.
7 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from 3 Fathers — Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Augustine of Hippo, and Saint Augustine.
John 18
1After saying these things, Jesus went out with His disciples across the winter stream Kidron, where there was a garden, into which He and His disciples entered.Ταῦτα εἰπὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐξῆλθε σὺν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ πέραν τοῦ χειμάρρου τῶν Κέδρων, ὅπου ἦν κῆπος, εἰς ὃν εἰσῆλθεν αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ.
2Now Judas, who was betraying Him, also knew the place, because Jesus often gathered there also with His disciples.ᾜδει δὲ καὶ Ἰούδας, ὁ παραδιδοὺς αὐτόν, τὸν τόπον· ὅτι πολλάκις συνήχθη ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐκεῖ μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ.
3Then Judas, having taken the detachment of soldiers and attendants from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.Ὁ οὖν Ἰούδας, λαβὼν τὴν σπεῖραν, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἀρχιερέων καὶ Φαρισαίων ὑπηρέτας, ἔρχεται ἐκεῖ μετὰ φανῶν καὶ λαμπάδων καὶ ὅπλων.
4Jesus therefore, knowing all things coming upon Him, went out and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”Ἰησοῦς οὖν, εἰδὼς πάντα τὰ ἐρχόμενα ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν, ἐξελθὼν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Τίνα ζητεῖτε;
5They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” Jesus said to them, “I AM.” And Judas, the one betraying Him, was standing with them.Ἀπεκρίθησαν αὐτῷ, Ἰησοῦν τὸν Ναζωραῖον. Λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Ἐγώ εἰμι. Εἱστήκει δὲ καὶ Ἰούδας ὁ παραδιδοὺς αὐτὸν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν.
6Therefore when He said to them, “I AM,” they stepped back and fell to the ground.Ὡς οὖν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὅτι Ἐγώ εἰμι, ἀπῆλθον εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, καὶ ἔπεσον χαμαί.
7Then He asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.”Πάλιν οὖν αὐτοὺς ἐπηρώτησε, Τίνα ζητεῖτε; Οἱ δὲ εἶπον, Ἰησοῦν τὸν Ναζωραῖον.
8Jesus answered, “I have told you that I AM! Therefore if you seek Me, allow these men to go,”Ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς, Εἶπον ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι· εἰ οὖν ἐμὲ ζητεῖτε, ἄφετε τούτους ὑπάγειν·
9so that the word might be fulfilled which He said, “Those whom You have given Me I have lost none.”ἵνα πληρωθῇ ὁ λόγος ὃν εἶπεν ὅτι Οὓς δέδωκάς μοι, οὐκ ἀπώλεσα ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐδένα.
10Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And the servant's name was Malchus.Σίμων οὖν Πέτρος ἔχων μάχαιραν εἵλκυσεν αὐτήν, καὶ ἔπαισε τὸν τοῦ ἀρχιερέως δοῦλον, καὶ ἀπέκοψεν αὐτοῦ τὸ ὠτίον τὸ δεξιόν. Ἦν δὲ ὄνομα τῷ δούλῳ Μάλχος.
11Then Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”Εἶπεν οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῷ Πέτρῳ, Βάλε τὴν μάχαιραν εἰς τὴν θήκην· τὸ ποτήριον ὃ δέδωκέ μοι ὁ πατήρ, οὐ μὴ πίω αὐτό;
12Then the detachment of soldiers and the captain and the attendants of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him.Ἡ οὖν σπεῖρα καὶ ὁ χιλίαρχος καὶ οἱ ὑπηρέται τῶν Ἰουδαίων συνέλαβον τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ ἔδησαν αὐτόν,
13And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year.καὶ ἀπήγαγον αὐτὸν πρὸς Ἄνναν πρῶτον· ἦν γὰρ πενθερὸς τοῦ Καϊάφα, ὃς ἦν ἀρχιερεὺς τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἐκείνου.
14Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was profitable for one man to perish for the people.Ἦν δὲ Καϊάφας ὁ συμβουλεύσας τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, ὅτι συμφέρει ἕνα ἄνθρωπον ἀπολέσθαι ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ.
15And Simon Peter was following Jesus, as was the other disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest.Ἠκολούθει δὲ τῷ Ἰησοῦ Σίμων Πέτρος, καὶ ὁ ἄλλος μαθητής. Ὁ δὲ μαθητὴς ἐκεῖνος ἦν γνωστὸς τῷ ἀρχιερεῖ, καὶ συνεισῆλθε τῷ Ἰησοῦ εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν τοῦ ἀρχιερέως·
16But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in.ὁ δὲ Πέτρος εἱστήκει πρὸς τῇ θύρᾳ ἔξω. Ἐξῆλθεν οὖν ὁ μαθητὴς ὁ ἄλλος ὃς ἦν γνωστὸς τῷ ἀρχιερεῖ, καὶ εἶπε τῇ θυρωρῷ, καὶ εἰσήγαγε τὸν Πέτρον.
17Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man's disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.”Λέγει οὖν ἡ παιδίσκη ἡ θυρωρὸς τῷ Πέτρῳ, Μὴ καὶ σὺ ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν εἶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τούτου; Λέγει ἐκεῖνος, Οὐκ εἰμί.
18And the servants and attendants who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they were warming themselves. Now Peter was standing with them and warming himself.Εἱστήκεισαν δὲ οἱ δοῦλοι καὶ οἱ ὑπηρέται ἀνθρακιὰν πεποιηκότες, ὅτι ψῦχος ἦν, καὶ ἐθερμαίνοντο· ἦν δὲ μετ᾽ αὐτῶν ὁ Πέτρος ἑστὼς καὶ θερμαινόμενος.
19Then high priest asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.Ὁ οὖν ἀρχιερεὺς ἠρώτησε τὸν Ἰησοῦν περὶ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ περὶ τῆς διδαχῆς αὐτοῦ.
20Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always come together, and in secret I spoke nothing.Ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Ἐγὼ παρρησίᾳ ἐλάλησα τῷ κόσμῳ· ἐγὼ πάντοτε ἐδίδαξα ἐν συναγωγῇ καὶ ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, ὅπου πάντοτε οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι συνέρχονται, καὶ ἐν κρυπτῷ ἐλάλησα οὐδέν.
21Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard Me, what I spoke to them. Indeed they know what I said.”Τί με ἐπερωτᾷς; Ἐπερώτησον τοὺς ἀκηκοότας, τί ἐλάλησα αὐτοῖς· ἴδε, οὗτοι οἴδασιν ἃ εἶπον ἐγώ.
22And when He had said these things, one of the attendants who stood by slapped Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Is this how You answer the high priest?”Ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ εἰπόντος, εἷς τῶν ὑπηρετῶν παρεστηκὼς ἔδωκε ῥάπισμα τῷ Ἰησοῦ, εἰπών, Οὕτως ἀποκρίνῃ τῷ ἀρχιερεῖ;
23Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, testify of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?”Ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Εἰ κακῶς ἐλάλησα, μαρτύρησον περὶ τοῦ κακοῦ· εἰ δὲ καλῶς, τί με δέρεις;
24Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.Ἀπέστειλεν αὐτὸν ὁ Ἄννας δεδεμένον πρὸς Καϊάφαν τὸν ἀρχιερέα.
25Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. Therefore they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” Then he denied it and said, “I am not!”Ἦν δὲ Σίμων Πέτρος ἑστὼς καὶ θερμαινόμενος· εἶπον οὖν αὐτῷ, Μὴ καὶ σὺ ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ εἶ; Ἠρνήσατο οὖν ἐκεῖνος, καὶ εἶπεν, Οὐκ εἰμί.
26One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?”Λέγει εἷς ἐκ τῶν δούλων τοῦ ἀρχιερέως, συγγενὴς ὢν οὗ ἀπέκοψε Πέτρος τὸ ὠτίον, Οὐκ ἐγώ σε εἶδον ἐν τῷ κήπῳ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ;
27Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.Πάλιν οὖν ἠρνήσατο ὁ Πέτρος, καὶ εὐθέως ἀλέκτωρ ἐφώνησεν.
28Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium, lest they might be defiled, but so that they might eat the Passover.Ἄγουσιν οὖν τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀπὸ τοῦ Καϊάφα εἰς τὸ πραιτώριον· ἦν δὲ πρωΐ, καὶ αὐτοὶ οὐκ εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὸ πραιτώριον, ἵνα μὴ μιανθῶσιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα φάγωσι τὸ Πάσχα.
29Then Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”Ἐξῆλθεν οὖν ὁ Πιλᾶτος πρὸς αὐτούς, καὶ εἶπε, Τίνα κατηγορίαν φέρετε κατὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τούτου;
30They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him over to you.”Ἀπεκρίθησαν καὶ εἶπον αὐτῷ, Εἰ μὴ ἦν οὗτος κακοποιός, οὐκ ἄν σοι παρεδώκαμεν αὐτόν.
31Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.” Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to kill anyone,”Εἶπεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ὁ Πιλᾶτος, Λάβετε αὐτὸν ὑμεῖς, καὶ κατὰ τὸν νόμον ὑμῶν κρίνατε αὐτόν. Εἶπον οὖν αὐτῷ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, Ἡμῖν οὐκ ἔξεστιν ἀποκτεῖναι οὐδένα·
32that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled which He said, signifying by what sort of death He was about to die.ἵνα ὁ λόγος τοῦ Ἰησοῦ πληρωθῇ, ὃν εἶπε, σημαίνων ποίῳ θανάτῳ ἔμελλεν ἀποθνῄσκειν.
33Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, and called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”Εἰσῆλθεν οὖν εἰς τὸ πραιτώριον πάλιν ὁ Πιλᾶτος, καὶ ἐφώνησε τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Σὺ εἶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων;
34Jesus answered him, “For yourself do you say this, or did others tell you about Me?”Ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Ἀφ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ σὺ τοῦτο λέγεις, ἢ ἄλλοι σοι εἶπον περὶ ἐμοῦ;
35Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”Ἀπεκρίθη ὁ Πιλᾶτος, Μήτι ἐγὼ Ἰουδαῖός εἰμι; Τὸ ἔθνος τὸ σὸν καὶ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς παρέδωκάν σε ἐμοί· τί ἐποίησας;
36Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I might not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”Ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς, Ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου· εἰ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἦν ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμή, οἱ ὑπηρέται ἂν οἱ ἐμοὶ ἠγωνίζοντο, ἵνα μὴ παραδοθῶ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις· νῦν δὲ ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐντεῦθεν.
37Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this reason I have been born, and for this reason I have come into the world, that I should testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”Εἶπεν οὖν αὐτῷ ὁ Πιλᾶτος, Οὐκοῦν βασιλεὺς εἶ σύ; Ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς, Σὺ λέγεις, ὅτι βασιλεύς εἰμι ἐγώ. Ἐγὼ εἰς τοῦτο γεγέννημαι, καὶ εἰς τοῦτο ἐλήλυθα εἰς τὸν κόσμον, ἵνα μαρτυρήσω τῇ ἀληθείᾳ. Πᾶς ὁ ὢν ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας ἀκούει μου τῆς φωνῆς.
38Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And having said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him.Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Πιλᾶτος, Τί ἐστιν ἀλήθεια; Καὶ τοῦτο εἰπών, πάλιν ἐξῆλθε πρὸς τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς, Ἐγὼ οὐδεμίαν αἰτίαν εὑρίσκω ἐν αὐτῷ.
39“But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Therefore do you wish that I should release the King of the Jews?”Ἔστι δὲ συνήθεια ὑμῖν, ἵνα ἕνα ὑμῖν ἀπολύσω ἐν τῷ Πάσχα· βούλεσθε οὖν ὑμῖν ἀπολύσω τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων;
40Then they all cried out again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a bandit.Ἐκραύγασαν οὖν πάλιν πάντες, λέγοντες, Μὴ τοῦτον, ἀλλὰ τὸν Βαραββᾶν· ἦν δὲ ὁ Βαραββᾶς λῃστής.
The Fathers on John 18
Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Augustine of Hippo, and Saint Augustine comment on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On John 18:1Saint John Chrysostom“When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which He entered, and His disciples.”
Read Homilies on the Gospel of John →
On John 18:1–12Saint Augustine of Hippo1. When the grand and lengthened discourse was concluded which the Lord delivered after supper, and on the eve of shedding His blood for us, to the disciples who were then with Him, and had added the prayer addressed to His Father, the evangelist John began thereafter the narrative of His passion in these words: “When...
Read Tractates on the Gospel of John →
On John 18:37Saint John Chrysostom“To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth My Voice.”
Read Homilies on the Gospel of John →
On John 18:33–40Saint Augustine of Hippo1. What Pilate said to Christ, or what He replied to Pilate, has to be considered and handled in the present discourse. For after the words had been addressed to the Jews, “Take ye him, and judge him according to your law,” and the Jews had replied, “It is not lawful for us to put any man to death, Pilate entered...
Read Tractates on the Gospel of John →
On John 18:11Saint AugustineWhen we follow the versions presented by Matthew and Mark, we find that the history now proceeds thus: “And while He yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude, with swords and staves, from...
Read The Harmony of the Gospels →
On John 18:13–27Saint Augustine of Hippo1. After that His persecutors had, through the treason of Judas, taken and bound the Lord, who loved us, and gave Himself for us, Ephesians 5:2 and whom the Father spared not, but gave Him up for us all: Romans 8:32 that we may understand that there was no praise due to Judas for the usefulness of his treachery, but...
Read Tractates on the Gospel of John →
On John 18:28–32Open John 18 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint Augustine of Hippo1. Let us now consider, so far as indicated by the evangelist John, what was done with, or in regard to, our Lord Jesus Christ, when brought before Pontius Pilate the governor. For he returns to the place of his narrative where he had left it, to explain the denial of Peter. He had already, you know, said, “And Annas...
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