This also is John's testimony, when the Jews sent to him a deputation of Priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him who he was.

So the Jews asked Him, "What proof of your authority do you exhibit to us, seeing that you do these things?"

"It has taken forty-six years," replied the Jews, "to build this Sanctuary, and will you rebuild it in three days?"

Now there was one of the Pharisees whose name was Nicodemus--a ruler among the Jews.

"How is it," replied the woman, "that a Jew like you asks me, who am a woman and a Samaritan, for water?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

Our forefathers worshipped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem."

You worship One of whom you know nothing. We worship One whom we know; for salvation comes from the Jews.

After this there was a Festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

That day was a Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, "It is the Sabbath: you must not carry your mat."

The man went and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had restored him to health;

and on this account the Jews began to persecute Jesus--because He did these things on the Sabbath.

On this account then the Jews were all the more eager to put Him to death--because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also spoke of God as being in a special sense His Father, thus putting Himself on a level with God.

Now the Jews began to find fault about Him because of His claiming to be the bread which came down out of Heaven.

This led to an angry debate among the Jews. "How can this man," they argued, "give us his flesh to eat?"

After this Jesus moved from place to place in Galilee. He would not go about in Judaea, because the Jews were seeking an opportunity to kill Him.

Meanwhile the Jews at the Festival were looking for Him and were inquiring, "Where is he?"

Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke out boldly about Him.

The Jews were astonished. "How does this man know anything of books," they said, "although he has never been at any of the schools?"

The Jews therefore said to one another, "Where is he about to betake himself, so that we shall not find him? Will he betake himself to the Dispersion among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?

The Jews began to ask one another, "Is he going to kill himself, do you think, that he says, 'Where I am going, it is impossible for you to come'?"

Jesus therefore said to those of the Jews who had now believed in Him, "As for you, if you hold fast to my teaching, then you are truly my disciples;

"Are we not right," answered the Jews, "in saying that you are a Samaritan and are possessed by a demon?"

"Now," exclaimed the Jews, "we know that you are possessed by a demon. Abraham died, and so did the Prophets, and yet *you* say, 'If any one shall have obeyed my teaching, he shall in no case ever taste death.'

"You are not yet fifty years old," cried the Jews, "and have you seen Abraham?"

The Jews, however, did not believe the statement concerning him--that he had been blind and had obtained his sight--until they called his parents and asked them,

Such was their answer, because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already settled among themselves that if any one should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ, he should be excluded from the synagogue.

Again there arose a division among the Jews because of these words.

when the Jews gathered round Him and kept asking Him, "How long do you mean to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us so plainly."

Again the Jews brought stones with which to stone Him.

"For no good deed," the Jews replied, "are we going to stone you, but for blasphemy, and because you, who are only a man, are making yourself out to be God."

"Rabbi," exclaimed the disciples, "the Jews have just been trying to stone you, and do you think of going back there again?"

and a considerable number of the Jews were with Martha and Mary, having come to express sympathy with them on the death of their brother.

So the Jews who were with Mary in the house sympathizing with her, when they saw that she had risen hastily and had gone out, followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep aloud there.

Seeing her weeping aloud, and the Jews in like manner weeping who had come with her, Jesus, curbing the strong emotion of His spirit,

"See how dear he held him," said the Jews.

Thereupon a considerable number of the Jews--namely those who had come to Mary and had witnessed His deeds--became believers in Him;

Therefore Jesus no longer went about openly among the Jews, but He left that neighbourhood and went into the district near the Desert, to a town called Ephraim, and remained there with the disciples.

Now it became widely known among the Jews that Jesus was there; but they came not only on His account, but also in order to see Lazarus whom He had brought back to life.

for because of him many of the Jews left them and became believers in Jesus.

Dear children, I am still with you a little longer. You will seek me, but, as I said to the Jews, 'Where I am going you cannot come,' so for the present I say to you.

(It was this Caiaphas who had advised the Jews, saying, "It is to your interest that one man should die for the People.")

"As for me," replied Jesus, "I have spoken openly to the world. I have continually taught in some synagogue or in the Temple where all the Jews are wont to assemble, and I have said nothing in secret.

"Take him yourselves," said Pilate, "and judge him by your Law." "We have no power," replied the Jews, "to put any man to death."

Re-entering the Praetorium, therefore, Pilate called Jesus and asked Him, "Are *you* the King of the Jews?"

"My kingdom," replied Jesus, "does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my subjects would have resolutely fought to save me from being delivered up to the Jews. But, as a matter of fact, my kingdom has not this origin."

"What is truth?" said Pilate. But no sooner had he spoken the words than he went out again to the Jews and told them, "I find no crime in him.

But you have a custom that I should release one prisoner to you at the Passover. So shall I release to you the King of the Jews?"

Then they began to march up to Him, saying in a mocking voice, "Hail King of the Jews!" And they struck Him with the palms of their hands.

Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, "See, I am bringing him out to you to let you clearly understand that I find no crime in him."

"We," replied the Jews, "have a Law, and in accordance with that Law he ought to die, for having claimed to be the Son of God."

Upon receiving this answer, Pilate was for releasing Him. But the Jews kept shouting, "If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar's. Every one who sets himself up as king declares himself a rebel against Caesar."

It was the day of Preparation for the Passover, about six o'clock in the morning. Then he said to the Jews, "There is your king!"

And Pilate wrote a notice and had it fastened to the top of the cross. It ran thus: JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Many of the Jews read this notice, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the notice was in three languages--Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.

This led the Jewish High Priests to remonstrate with Pilate. "You should not write 'The King of the Jews,'" they said, "but that he claimed to be King of the Jews."

Meanwhile the Jews, because it was the day of Preparation for the Passover, and in order that the bodies might not remain on the crosses during the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was one of special solemnity)

After this, Joseph of Arimathaea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but for fear of the Jews a secret disciple, asked Pilate's permission to carry away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him leave. So he came and removed the body.

On that same first day of the week, when it was evening and, for fear of the Jews, the doors of the house where the disciples were, were locked, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, "Peace be to you!"