Matthew 26:59-68 Now the chief (ranking) priests and the whole Sanhedrin (the ruling council of the Jewish nation) had been seeking false evidence (testimony from false witnesses) to bring down against Jesus so that they could put Him to death.

JMNT⁽ⁱ⁾ ⁵⁹ Now the chief (ranking) priests and the whole Sanhedrin (the ruling council of the Jewish nation) had been seeking false evidence (testimony from false witnesses) [to bring] down against Jesus so that they could put Him to death. ⁶⁰ However, they found nothing – although many false witnesses were coming forward (or: And yet they could not find many false witnesses [that were] coming forward). Yet, subsequently, two false witnesses, upon approaching, said, ⁶¹ "This man affirmed, 'I am able to demolish (loose-down) God's inner sanctuary of the Temple (= the holy place and the holy of holies; God's divine habitation), and – through (or: during [the period of]; or: by means of) three days – to build the house." ⁶² And then, standing up, the high (ruling) priest said to Him, "Are you continuing answering nothing (or: Do you continue making no decided response of even one thing) to what are these men presently testifying against you?" ⁶³ Yet Jesus continued silent. And so the high (ruling; ranking) priest said to Him, "I now bind you to speak out an oath in accord with the living God (or: Down from the living God, I am now exorcising you; or: I now bind you by oath in correspondence with the living God) that you should say to us if you, yourself, are the Christ (the Anointed one; = the Messiah) – God's son (= the one having the same relationship to God and to the people as did Israel as a nation, or Israel's king)?" ⁶⁴ Jesus is then saying to him, "You yourself are saying [it] (or: are [so] saying)! Moreover, I am now saying to you people, from now (this present moment) on you folks will proceed to be seeing ‘the Son of the Man (= Adam's son; the eschatological Messiah figure; the representative human) continuously sitting at the right [hand] ’ of the Power, and ‘progressively coming (or: repeatedly coming and going) upon the clouds of the atmosphere (or: sky; heaven).’" [Dan. 7:13; Ps. 110:1] ⁶⁵ At that point the high (ruling) priest tore and ripped his outer garments (= his vestments?), saying, "He blasphemes! What need are we still having of witnesses? See! You now (at this moment) heard his blasphemy (villainous, defaming speech; harm-averment)! ⁶⁶ "What does [this] now seem to you men – what is your opinion?" So they, giving a decided response, said, "He now is held within and under the control of death." ⁶⁷ At that point they spit into His face and hit (or: punched) Him with their fists. Yet some men slapped Him, one after another saying, ⁶⁸ "Prophesy to us, O Christ (or: O 'anointed one') – who is the person striking you?"