John 19:1-16 - Pilate Attempts To Release Jesus
1 Then therefore Pilate took Jesus and scourged him. 2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and put on him a purple robe, and approached him 3 and said, Hail, king of the Jews! and they gave him blows on the face.
4 Again Pilate went forth, and saith to them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find nothing criminal in him.
5 Jesus therefore came forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And [Pilate] saith to them, Behold the man!
6 When therefore the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify! crucify! Pilate saith to them, Take him yourselves, and crucify him; for I find nothing criminal in him.
7 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and according to the law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.
8 When Pilate therefore heard this, he was the more afraid; 9 and went again into the palace, and saith to Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 Pilate saith to him, Dost thou not speak to me? Dost thou not know that I have power to release thee, and have power to crucify thee?
11 Jesus answered, Thou wouldst have no power against me, unless it had been given thee from above; for this cause he that delivered me up to thee hath the greater sin.
12 From this time Pilate sought to release him. But the Jews cried out, saying, If thou release this man, thou art not a friend of Caesar. Every one that maketh himself a king, setteth himself against Caesar.
13 When therefore Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down on the judgmentseat, in a place called the Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the preparation of the passover. It was about the sixth hour. And he saith to the Jews, Behold your king!
15 Upon this they cried out, Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him! Pilate saith to them, Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.
16 Then therefore he delivered him up to them to be crucified. They therefore took Jesus;