John 19:1-16 - Pilate Attempts To Release Jesus

¹ So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him. ² And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they clothed him in a purple robe. ³ They came up to him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and struck him with their hands.

⁴ Pilate went out again, and said to them, "See, I am bringing him out to you, that you may know that I find no crime in him."

⁵ So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Behold the man!"

⁶ When the chief priests and officers saw him, they cried out, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "You take him and crucify him, for I find no fault in him."

⁷ The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God."

⁸ When Pilate heard these words, he was the more afraid, ⁹ and he went again into the Praetorium and said to Jesus, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰ Pilate said to him, "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?"

¹¹ Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered me to you has the greater sin."

¹² From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, "If you let this man go, you are not Caesar's friend. Anyone who makes himself a king sets himself against Caesar."

¹³ When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. ¹⁴ Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover, about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold your King!"

¹⁵ But they cried out, "Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no King but Caesar."

¹⁶ Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus.