Are you really ready to die for me? reflects both a sense of irony on the part of Jesus and his understanding of human weakness. Phillips renders “Would you lay down you life for me?”; Moffatt “Lay down you life for me?”; New American Bible “You will lay down your life for me, will you?” The irony in Jesus’ question may be expressed in some languages as “How is it that you say you are ready to die for me?” or “How can you say that you are ready to die for me?”

I am telling you the truth is the same expression discussed in 1.51.

Before the rooster crows you will say three times that you do not know me is more literally “the rooster will not crow until you say three times that you do not know me.” In Mark, Jesus’ words are different: “Before the rooster crows two times tonight, you will say three times that you do not know me.” In most languages it is necessary to change the rooster to “a rooster,” since no particular rooster has been identified in the context. It may also be necessary to suggest crowing in the morning, for example, “before a rooster crows tomorrow morning.”

A literal translation of you will say three times may be understood as indicating a repetition of the same statement to a single person. In reality, it is a prediction of what Peter will say on three different occasions to different people. Therefore, it may be necessary to say “will say on three occasions” or “will say to different people on three different occasions.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .