And then Jesus said to him: "Be careful not to say a word to any one, but go and show yourself to the Priest, and offer the gift directed by Moses, as evidence of your cure."

And have not you read in the law that, on the Sabbath, the priest in the Temple break the Sabbath and yet are not guilty?

Then the Chief Priests and the Councillors of the Nation met in the house of the High Priest, who was called Caiaphas,

Suddenly one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and striking the High Priest's servant, cut off his ear.

Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the High Priest, where the Teachers of the Law and the Councillors had assembled.

Then the High Priest stood up, and said to Jesus: "Have you no answer? What is this evidence which these men are giving against you?"

But Jesus remained silent. On this the High Priest said to him: "I adjure you, by the Living God, to tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God."

Then the High Priest tore his robes. "This is blasphemy!" he exclaimed. "Why do we want any more witnesses? You have just heard his blasphemy!

"Be careful not to say anything to any one; but go and show yourself to the Priest, and make the offerings for your cleansing directed by Moses, as evidence of your cure."

How he went into the House of God, in the time of Abiathar the High Priest, and ate 'the consecrated bread,' which only the priests are allowed to eat, and gave some to his comrades as well?"

One of those who were standing by drew his sword, and struck at the High Priest's servant, and cut off his ear.

Then they took Jesus to the High Priest; and all the Chief Priests, the Councillors, and the Teachers of the Law assembled.

Peter, who had followed Jesus at a distance into the court- yard of the High Priest, was sitting there among the police- officers, warming himself at the blaze of the fire.

Meanwhile the Chief Priest and the whole of the High Council were trying to get such evidence against Jesus as would warrant his being put to death, but they could not find any;

Then the High Priest stood forward, and questioned Jesus. "Have you no answer to make?" he asked. "What is this evidence which these men are giving against you?"

But Jesus remained silent, and made no answer. A second time the High Priest questioned him. "Are you," he asked, "the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"

At this the High Priest tore his vestments. "Why do we want any more witnesses?" he exclaimed.

While Peter was in the court-yard down below, one of the High Priest's maidservants came up;

In the reign of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the Division called after Abijah. His wife, whose name was Elizabeth, was also a descendant of Aaron.

One day, when Zechariah was officiating as priest before God, during the turn of his Division,

And then Jesus impressed upon him that he was not to say a word to any one, "but," he added, "set out and show yourself to the priest, and make the offerings for your cleansing, in the manner directed by Moses, as evidence of your cure."

As it chanced, a priest was going down by that road. He saw the man, but passed by on the opposite side.

When Jesus saw them, he said: "Go and show yourselves to the priest." And, as they were on their way, they were made clean.

After this the Teachers of the Law and the Chief Priest were eager to lay hands on Jesus then and there, but they were afraid of the people; for they saw that it was at them that he had aimed this parable.

The Chief Priest and the Teachers of the Law were looking for an opportunity of destroying Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.

And one of them struck the High Priest's servant and cut off his right ear;

Those who had taken Jesus prisoner took him away into the house of the High Priest. Peter followed at a distance.

One of them, however, Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, said to them:

Now he did not say this of his own accord; but, as High Priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was to die for the nation--

At this, Simon Peter, who had a sword with him, drew it, and struck the High Priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.

And took him first of all to Annas. Annas was the father-in- law of Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year.

Meanwhile Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. That disciple, being well-known to the High Priest, went with Jesus into the High Priest's court-yard,

While Peter stood outside by the door. Presently the other disciple--the one well-known to the High Priest--went out and spoke to the portress, and brought Peter in.

The High Priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching.

When Jesus said this, one of the police-officers, who was standing near, gave him a blow with his hand. "Do you answer the High Priest like that?" he exclaimed.

Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the High Priest.

One of the High Priest's servants, a relation of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, exclaimed: "Did not I myself see you with him in the garden?"

While Peter and John were still speaking to the people, the Chief Priest, with the Officer in charge at the Temple and the Sadducees, came up to them,

There were present Annas the High Priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all who were of High-Priestly rank.

At this the High Priest was roused to action, and he and all his supporters (who formed the party of the Sadducees), moved by jealousy,

When they heard this, they went at daybreak into the Temple Courts, and began to teach. The High Priest and his party, on their arrival, summoned the High Council, including all the leading men among the Israelites, and sent to the jail to fetch the Apostles.

And then brought them before the Council. The High Priest demanded an explanation from them.

Then the High Priest asked: "Is this true?"

Meanwhile Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the High Priest,

And the priest of Zeus-beyond-the-Walls, accompanied by the crowd, brought bullocks and garlands to the gates, with the intention of offering sacrifices.

The seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish Chief Priest, were doing this;

And to that the High Priest himself and all the Council can testify. For I had letters of introduction from them to our fellow Jews at Damascus, and I was on my way to that place, to bring those whom I might find there prisoners to Jerusalem for punishment.

At this, the High Priest Ananias ordered the men standing near to strike him on the mouth;

The people standing near said to Paul: "Do you know that you are insulting God's High Priest?"

"I did not know, Brothers, that it was the High Priest," said Paul, "for Scripture says--'Of the Ruler of thy People thou shalt speak no ill'."

Five days afterwards the High Priest Ananias came down with some of the Councillors and a barrister named Tertullus. They laid an information with the Governor against Paul;

About whom, when I came to Jerusalem, the Jewish Chief Priest and the Councillors laid an information, demanding judgment against him.

Because of the charge with which God has entrusted me, that I should be a minister of Christ Jesus to go to the Gentiles--that I should act as a priest of God's Good News, so that the offering up of the Gentiles may be an acceptable sacrifice, consecrated by the Holy Spirit.

And consequently it was necessary that he should in all points be made like 'his Brothers,' in order that he might prove a merciful as well as a faithful High Priest in man's relations with God, for the purpose of expiating the sins of his People.

Therefore, Christian Brothers, you who, all alike, have received the Call from Heaven, fix your attention on Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our Religion.

We have, then, in Jesus, the Son of God, a great High Priest who has passed into the highest Heaven; let us, therefore, hold fast to the Faith which we have professed.

Our High Priest is not one unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has in every way been tempted, exactly as we have been, but without sinning.

Every High Priest, taken from among men, is appointed as a representative of his fellow-men in their relations with God, to offer both gifts and sacrifices in expiation of sins.

and on another occasion also-- 'Thou art a priest for all time of the order of Melchizedek.'

while God himself pronounced him a High Priest of the order of Melchizedek.

where Jesus, our Forerunner, has entered on our behalf, after being made for all time a High Priest of the order of Melchizedek.

It was this Melchizedek, King of Salem and Priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and gave him his blessing;

There is no record of his father, or mother, or lineage, nor again of any beginning of his days, or end of his life. In this he resembles the Son of God, and stands before us as a priest whose priesthood is continuous.

If, then, Perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood--and it was under this priesthood that the people received the Law--why was it still necessary that a priest of a different order should appear, a priest of the order of Melchizedek and not of the order of Aaron?

All this becomes even yet plainer when we remember that a new priest has appeared, resembling Melchizedek,

for that is the meaning of the declaration-- 'Thou art for all time a priest of the order of Melchizedek.'

Then again, the appointment of this new priest was ratified by an oath, which is not so with the Levitical priests,

but his appointment was ratified by an oath, when God said to him-- 'The Lord has sworn, and will not change, "Thou art a priest for all time."'

This was the High Priest that we needed--holy, innocent, spotless, withdrawn from sinners, exalted above the highest Heaven,

The Law appoints as High Priests men who are liable to infirmity, but the words of God's oath, which was later than the Law, name the Son as, for all time, the perfect Priest.

To sum up what I have been saying:--Such is the High Priest that we have, one who 'has taken his seat at the right hand' of the throne of God's Majesty in Heaven,

Every High Priest is appointed for the purpose of offering gifts and sacrifices to God; it follows, therefore, that this High Priest must have some offering to make.

If he were, however, still upon earth, he would not even be a priest, since there are already priests who offer the gifts as the Law directs.

but into the inner only the High Priest goes, and that but once a year, and never without taking the blood of a victim, which he offers on his own behalf, and on behalf of the errors of the People.

But, when Christ came, he appeared as High Priest of that Better System which was established; and he entered through that nobler and more perfect 'Tabernacle,' not made by human hands--that is to say, not a part of this present creation.

Nor yet was it to offer himself may times, as year after year the High Priest entered the Sanctuary with an offering of blood--but not his own blood;

Every other priest stands day after day at his ministrations, and offers the same sacrifices over and over again--sacrifices that can never take sins away.

But, this priest, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, which should serve for all time, 'took his seat at the right hand of God,'

and, since we have in him 'a great priest set over the House of God,'

The bodies of those animals whose blood is brought by the High Priest into the Sanctuary, as an offering for sin, are burnt outside the camp.