Pilate then went out unto the chief priests and elders, and said, "What accusation bring you against this man?"

They answered and said unto him, "If he were not a criminal, we would not have delivered him up unto you."

Then said Pilate unto them, "Take…him, and judge him according to your law."

The Jews therefore said unto him, "It is not lawful for us to put any man to death": (That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spoke, signifying what death he should die.) And they began to accuse Jesus, saying, "We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King."

Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, "Are you the King of the Jews?"

Jesus answered him, "Say you this thing of yourself, or did others tell it to you of me?"

Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you unto me: what have you done?"

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from here."

Pilate therefore said unto him, "Are you a king then?"

Jesus answered, "…I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth hears my voice."

Pilate said unto him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and said unto them, "I find in him no fault at all."

And the chief priests accused Jesus of many things: but he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, "Hear you not how many things they witness against you?" But Jesus yet answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.

And the chief priests were the more fierce, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place. "When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilean. And as soon as he knew that Jesus belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.

And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he had wanted to see him for a long time, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.

Then Herod questioned with him in many words, but Jesus answered him nothing. And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Jesus. And Herod with his men of war treated Jesus with contempt, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were…enemies….

And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, said unto them, "You have brought this man unto me, as one that perverts the people: and, look, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things of which you accuse him: No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. I will therefore chastise him, and release him." (For of necessity he must release one prisoner unto them at the feast.)

And they cried out all at once, saying, "Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas": (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was thrown into prison.) Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spoke again to them. For he knew that for envy they had handed Jesus over.

When Pilate was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, "Have…nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him." Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, "Whom will you that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?" But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.

And Pilate answered and said again unto them, "What will you then that I shall do unto him whom you call the King of the Jews?"

And they cried out again, "Crucify him."

Then Pilate said unto them, "Why, what evil has he done?"

And they cried out the more exceedingly, "Crucify him."

And he said unto them the third time, "Why, what evil has he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go."

Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and lashed him. And they stripped Jesus, and put on him a purple robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked Jesus, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and struck him on the head.

Pilate therefore went out again, and said unto them, "Look, I bring him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in him." Then came Jesus out, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate said unto them, "Behold the man!"

When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, "Crucify him, crucify him."

Pilate said unto them, "Take you Jesus, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him."

The Jews answered Pilate, "We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God."

When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; and went again into the judgment hall, and said unto Jesus, "From where are you?" But Jesus gave him no answer.

Then said Pilate unto him, "Speak you not unto me? Know you not that I have power to crucify you, and have power to release you?"

Jesus answered, "You could have no power at all against me, except it were given you from above: therefore he that delivered me unto you has the greater sin."

And from then on Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, "If you let this man go, you are not Caesar's friend: whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar."

When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour: and he said unto the Jews, "Behold your King!"

But they cried out, "Away with him, away with him, crucify him."

Pilate said unto them, "Shall I crucify your King?"

The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar."

When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see you to it."

Then answered all the people, and said, "His blood be on us, and on our children." And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had whipped him, to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And began to salute him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own clothing on him, and led him away to crucify him. And Jesus bearing his cross went out into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also beat their breasts in grief and mourned him.

But Jesus turning unto them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, look, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts which never…nursed.’ Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us; and to the hills, cover us. For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?’ "

And as they led Jesus away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian…coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. And when they were come unto…Golgotha…they gave Jesus vinegar to drink mingled with myrrh: and when he had tasted of it, he would not drink. And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. Then said Jesus, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

And with him they crucified two thieves, the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on Jesus’ cross...over his head... and the writing was, "JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS." This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was near to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.

Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, "Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, ‘I am King of the Jews.’ "

Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written."

Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his clothing, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his tunic.

Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be": that the scripture might be fulfilled, which said, "They parted my clothing among them, and for my tunic they did cast lots." These things therefore the soldiers did.

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple John standing by, whom he loved, he said unto his mother, "Woman, behold your son!" Then said he to the John, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

And they that passed by shouted abuse at him, wagging their heads, and saying, "You that destroys the temple, and builds it in three days, save yourself. If you be the Son of God, come down from the cross."

Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, "He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ "

And the soldiers also mocked Jesus, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, and saying, "If you be the king of the Jews, save yourself." The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same insults….

REFERENCES

John 18:29-32; Luke 23:2; John 18:33-38; Matthew 27:13; Mark 15:5; Luke 23:5-20; Matthew 27:18-19; Matthew 27:17; Mark 15:11-14; Luke 23:22; John 19:1; Matthew 27:28-30; John 19:4-15; Matthew 27:24-25; Mark 15:15; Matthew 27:27; Mark 15:18; Matthew 27:31; John 19:17; Luke 23:27-31; Luke 23:26; Matthew 27:33-34; Mark 15:25; Luke 23:34a; Mark 15:27; John 19:19; Matthew 27:37a; John 19:20-27; Matthew 27:39-43; Luke 23:36-37; Matthew 27:44.

CHAPTER 89