They were Pharisees who had been sent.

Now there was one of the Pharisees whose name was Nicodemus--a ruler among the Jews.

Now as soon as the Master was aware that the Pharisees had heard it said, "Jesus is gaining and baptizing more disciples than John"--

The Pharisees heard the people thus expressing their various doubts about Him, and the High Priests and the Pharisees sent some officers to apprehend Him.

Meanwhile the officers returned to the High Priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why have you not brought him?"

"Are *you* deluded too?" replied the Pharisees;

"has any one of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?

and was teaching them when the Scribes and the Pharisees brought to Him a woman who had been found committing adultery. They made her stand in the centre of the court, and they put the case to Him.

"You are giving testimony about yourself," said the Pharisees; "your testimony is not true."

They brought him to the Pharisees--the man who had been blind.

So the Pharisees renewed their questioning as to how he had obtained his sight. "He put clay on my eyes," he replied, "and I washed, and now I can see."

This led some of the Pharisees to say, "That man has not come from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." "How is it possible for a bad man to do such miracles?" argued others.

These words were heard by those of the Pharisees who were present, and they asked Him, "Are *we* also blind?"

though some of them went off to the Pharisees and told them what He had done.

Therefore the High Priests and the Pharisees held a meeting of the Sanhedrin. "What steps are we taking?" they asked one another; "for this man is performing a great number of miracles.

Now the High Priests and the Pharisees had issued orders that if any one knew where He was, he should give information, so that they might arrest Him.

The result was that the Pharisees said among themselves, "Observe how idle all your efforts are! The world is gone after him!"

Nevertheless even from among the Rulers many believed in Him. But because of the Pharisees they did not avow their belief, for fear they should be shut out from the synagogue.

So Judas, followed by the battalion and by a detachment of the Temple police sent by the High Priests and Pharisees, came there with torches and lamps and weapons.