I said, “Listen, you leaders ¹  of Jacob, you rulers of the nation ²  of Israel! You ought to know what is just, ³ 

Listen to this, you leaders of the family ¹  of Jacob, you rulers of the nation ²  of Israel! You ³  hate justice and pervert all that is right.

But ¹  a suitable day ²  came, when Herod gave a banquet on his birthday for his court officials, military commanders, and leaders of Galilee.

Now ¹  this was ²  John’s ³  testimony ⁴  when the Jewish leaders ⁵  sent ⁶  priests and Levites from Jerusalem ⁷  to ask him, “Who are you?” ⁸ 

So the Jewish leaders ¹  said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and you are not permitted to carry your mat.” ² 

Then the Jewish leaders ¹  were astonished ²  and said, “How does this man know so much when he has never had formal instruction?” ³ 

So the Jewish leaders ¹  began to say, ²  “Perhaps he is going to kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’”

The Jewish leaders ¹  surrounded him and asked, ²  “How long will you keep us in suspense? ³  If you are the Christ, ⁴  tell us plainly.” ⁵ 

The Jewish leaders ¹  replied, ²  “We are not going to stone you for a good deed ³  but for blasphemy, ⁴  because ⁵  you, a man, are claiming to be God.” ⁶ 

The disciples replied, ¹  “Rabbi, the Jewish leaders ²  were just now trying ³  to stone you to death! Are ⁴  you going there again?”

Then the squad of soldiers ¹  with their commanding officer ²  and the officers of the Jewish leaders ³  arrested ⁴  Jesus and tied him up. ⁵ 

(Now it was Caiaphas who had advised ¹  the Jewish leaders ²  that it was to their advantage that one man die for the people.) ³ 

Pilate told them, ¹  “Take him yourselves and pass judgment on him ²  according to your own law!” ³  The Jewish leaders ⁴  replied, ⁵  “We cannot legally put anyone to death.” ⁶ 

The Jewish leaders ¹  replied, ²  “We have a law, ³  and according to our law he ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God!” ⁴ 

(Now it was the day of preparation ¹  for the Passover, about noon. ² ) ³  Pilate ⁴  said to the Jewish leaders, ⁵  “Look, here is your king!”

“So,” he said, “let your leaders ¹  go down there ²  with me, and if this man has done anything wrong, ³  they may bring charges ⁴  against him.”

But from those who were influential ¹  (whatever they were makes no difference to me; God shows no favoritism between people ² ) – those influential leaders ³  added ⁴  nothing to my message. ⁵ 

Remember your leaders, who spoke God’s message to you; reflect on the outcome of their lives and imitate their faith.

They inquired, “What is the guilt offering that we should send to him?” They replied, “The Philistine leaders number five. So send five gold sores and five gold mice, for it is the same plague that has afflicted both you and your leaders.

The leaders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?” Achish said to the leaders of the Philistines, “Isn’t this David, the servant of King Saul of Israel, who has been with me for quite some time? ¹  I have found no fault with him from the day of his defection until the present time!” ²