King James Bible
"Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice."
Jesus responds to Peter's bold declaration of loyalty with a penetrating question that exposes the gap between Peter's self-perception and reality. The rhetorical nature highlights Peter's overconfidence, as Jesus knows Peter is not yet ready for such sacrifice. This double affirmation (literally "Amen, amen") is John's distinctive way of recording Jesus' most solemn pronouncements. It signals that what follows is certain and divinely foreknown, lending gravity to the prediction. Jesus prophesies Peter's threefold denial before dawn (marked by the rooster's crow), specifying both the timing and repetition of the betrayal. This precise prediction demonstrates Jesus' divine foreknowledge while foreshadowing Peter's later restoration through a corresponding threefold affirmation.