Matthew 26:57-75, Additional Reading Zephaniah 2

Monday, February 16, 2026
 

Jesus before Caiaphas

57 Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. 58 But Peter was following Him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat down with the [a]officers to see the outcome.

59 Now the chief priests and the whole [b]Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. 60 They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, 61 and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the [c]temple of God and to rebuild it [d]in three days.’” 62 The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” 63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I [e]adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are [f]the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus *said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, [g]hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

65 Then the high priest tore his [h]robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; 66 what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!”

67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others [i]slapped Him, 68 and said, “Prophesy to us, You [j]Christ; who is the one who hit You?”

Peter’s Denials

69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” 71 When he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and *said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 And again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” 73 A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Surely you too are one of them; for even the way you talk [k]gives you away.” 74 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 26:58 Or servants
  2. Matthew 26:59 Or Sanhedrin
  3. Matthew 26:61 Or sanctuary
  4. Matthew 26:61 Or after
  5. Matthew 26:63 Or charge You under oath
  6. Matthew 26:63 I.e. the Messiah
  7. Matthew 26:64 Or from now on
  8. Matthew 26:65 Or outer garments
  9. Matthew 26:67 Or beat Him with rods
  10. Matthew 26:68 I.e. the Messiah
  11. Matthew 26:73 Lit makes you evident
 
 

Judgments on Judah’s Enemies

2 Gather yourselves together, yes, gather,
O nation without [a]shame,
2 Before the decree [b]takes effect—
The day passes like the chaff—
Before the burning anger of the Lord comes upon you,
Before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you.
3 Seek the Lord,
All you humble of the [c]earth
Who have carried out His [d]ordinances;
Seek righteousness, seek humility.
Perhaps you will be hidden
In the day of the Lord’s anger.

4 For Gaza will be abandoned
And Ashkelon a desolation;
Ashdod will be driven out at noon
And Ekron will be uprooted.
5 Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast,
The nation of the [e]Cherethites!
The word of the Lord is against you,
O Canaan, land of the Philistines;
And I will destroy you
So that there will be no inhabitant.
6 So the seacoast will be pastures,
With [f]caves for shepherds and folds for flocks.
7 And the coast will be
For the remnant of the house of Judah,
They will pasture on it.
In the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down at evening;
For the Lord their God will care for them
And restore their fortune.

8 “I have heard the [g]taunting of Moab
And the revilings of the sons of Ammon,
With which they have [h]taunted My people
And [i]become arrogant against their territory.
9 “Therefore, as I live,” declares the Lord of hosts,
The God of Israel,
“Surely Moab will be like Sodom
And the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah—
A place possessed by nettles and salt pits,
And a perpetual desolation.
The remnant of My people will plunder them
And the remainder of My nation will inherit them.”

10 This they will have in return for their pride, because they have [j]taunted and [k]become arrogant against the people of the Lord of hosts. 11 The Lord will be terrifying to them, for He will [l]starve all the gods of the earth; and all the coastlands of the nations will bow down to Him, everyone from his own place.

12 “You also, O Ethiopians, will be slain by My sword.”
13 And He will stretch out His hand against the north
And destroy Assyria,
And He will make Nineveh a desolation,
Parched like the wilderness.
14 Flocks will lie down in her midst,
[m]All beasts which range in herds;
Both the [n]pelican and the hedgehog
Will lodge in [o]the tops of her pillars;
[p]Birds will sing in the window,
Desolation will be on the threshold;
For He has laid bare the cedar work.
15 This is the exultant city
Which dwells securely,
Who says in her heart,
“I am, and there is no one besides me.”
How she has become a desolation,
A resting place for beasts!
Everyone who passes by her will hiss
And wave his hand in contempt.

Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 2:1 Or longing
  2. Zephaniah 2:2 Lit is born
  3. Zephaniah 2:3 Or land
  4. Zephaniah 2:3 Or justice
  5. Zephaniah 2:5 I.e. a segment of the Philistines with roots in Crete
  6. Zephaniah 2:6 Or meadows or wells
  7. Zephaniah 2:8 Lit reproach
  8. Zephaniah 2:8 Lit reproached
  9. Zephaniah 2:8 Lit made themselves great
  10. Zephaniah 2:10 Lit reproached
  11. Zephaniah 2:10 Lit made themselves great
  12. Zephaniah 2:11 Lit make lean
  13. Zephaniah 2:14 Or All kinds of beasts in crowds; lit Every kind of beast of a nation
  14. Zephaniah 2:14 Or owl or jackdaw
  15. Zephaniah 2:14 Lit her capitals
  16. Zephaniah 2:14 Lit A voice

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