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"Thus," said Caiaphas, "is the judgment pronounced upon this Jesus of Nazareth pronounced according to law, and shall be carried out as speedily as possible. Meanwhile I will have the condemned placed under safe guard. Lead him forth, guard him, and by the safe dawn of the morning bring him to the Great Sanhedrin." "Come, then, Messiah," said Selpha, roughly, "we will show thee thy palace."
And the soldiers laughed as they said, "Thou hast often dreamed of this; is it not so?" Then said Selpha, "Caiaphas will soon explain this dream to him." And Balbus, seeing that Jesus opened not his mouth, and was silent, shouted in his ear, "Dost thou hear? Caiaphas will announce to thee thy exaltation to a high position!"
And all the band shouted, "Ha, run now as thou hast hitherto run to and fro about the land of Judea." "Spare him not!" said Selpha, "drive him on!" "Forward," shouted the soldiers, shouting together; "otherwise thou shalt be driven on with staves." And as they marched away, driving Jesus before them the traders derided him, saying, "Doth Beelzebub, then, aid thee no longer?"
At this moment, when the situation was getting very serious for Peter, attention was called off from him by a cry from the soldiers round the fire. "Make ready, they are bringing in the prisoner." Selpha then brought in Jesus bound between Malchus and Balbus. "Now, how have things gone?" eagerly inquired Arphaxad. "He is condemned to death," said Selpha. The soldiers mocking, cried, "Poor king!"
As he hurried into the street the Pharisees laughed at him and said, "Whether thou wilt have it or not, die he must." Then said the priests to Annas, "High priest, the prisoner is at the threshold." Annas said, "Let Selpha, with as many of the watch as are necessary, bring him up here, while the rest await him below."
A great burst of hoarse laughter from the watch followed, as they shouted, "An exalted position between heaven and earth!" "Look out, you fellows!" cried Selpha, "there through the hall of Pilate's lies our nearest way to the palace of Caiaphas. There, station yourselves in the courtyard until further orders." The soldiers answered, "Thy command shall be fully obeyed!"
The traders replied, "But we will not leave this scoundrel for an instant." "First," said Nathanael, "we must go to the High Priest Annas. Lead him thither!" Selpha said, "We follow thee!" As the band prepared to obey the word of command a trader came up to Judas and said approvingly, "Thou art a man, indeed. Thou knowest how to keep thy word."
"Illustrious High Priest, here is the prisoner," said Selpha. "Bring him nearer," said Caiaphas, "so that I may look him in the face and question him." "Step forward," said Selpha, "and show respect here to the head of the Sanhedrin."
Selpha, the leader of the band, cried, "Seize him!" The soldiers approached Jesus, Malchus and Balbus carrying in their hands a small cord, and grasped him by the wrists in order to bind him. Peter and Philip asked Jesus, saying, "Lord, shall we smite with the sword?" Before Jesus replied, Peter's sword flashed from its sheath and descended on the head of Malchus.
But how, then, would the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be?" Then turning to the Pharisees he said, "Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves to take me? I sat daily with ye in the temple teaching, and ye took me not. But this is your hour and the power of darkness. Behold, I am here!" "Surround him!" cried Selpha; "bind him fast that he escape not."
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