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Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, 33 signifying what death he should die. Then Pilate entered into the judgment-hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the 34 king of the Jews?* Jesus answered him, Dost thou say this of thyself, or did others tell 35 it thee of me ?t Pilate replied, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation, and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me. What hast thou 36 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 my 37 kingdom is not from hence. Then Pilate said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that 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. Every one that is of the truth heareth 38 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, . 39 I find in him no fault at all. But ye have a custom, that I should release one unto you at the passover will ye therefore that I release 40 unto you the king of the Jews? Then they

:

* Do you pretend to be a king? or to exercise civil power in opposition to Cæsar, my master, the emperor of Rome? + Did this inquiry originate with yourself, or did the Jews suggest it to you?

Though Christ acknowledges himself a king; yet he declares it was in a moral and spiritual sense.

§ Not, perhaps, truth, abstractly considered, but what is the truth of which you speak.

all cried again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.*

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CHAP. XIX.

THEN Pilate took Jesus, and scourged him. 2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a 3 purple robe, and said, Hail, King of the Jews! 4 And they smote him with their hands. Then Pilate went out again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may 5 know that I find no fault in him. Then Jesus came forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, 6 Behold the man! But when the chief priests and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I 7 find no fault in him. The Jews answered

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him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.†

Now when Pilate heard that saying, he was 9 the more afraid and went again into the judgment-hall, and said unto Jesus, Whence

* Barabbas, i. e. the son of Abbas-and there was a tradition in the church, that this son of Abbas was also named Jesus.

The law of Moses directed, that all false prophets should be put to death. The Jews, indeed, pretended that by saying he was the Son of God, Christ made himself equal to God, and was therefore guilty of blasphemy.

art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 Then Pilate saith unto him, Wilt thou not speak to me? Dost thou not know that I have power to crucify thee, and power to release 11 thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest not have any power against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. 12 From that time Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Cæsar's friend. Whoever maketh himself a king, speaketh against Cæsar.*

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When Pilate heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment-seat, in a place that is called the pavement, but in 14e Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the pre

paration of the passover, and about the sixth hour. And he saith unto the Jews, Behold 15 your King. But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but 16 Cæsar. Then he delivered Jesus unto them

to be crucified. And they took him and led 17 him away. And he, bearing his cross, went

that

* Any accusation, that would serve their purpose. They had just before charged him with blasphemy in saying he was the Son of God; and they pleaded that he ought to die for that. But when this failed, they accused him of sedition, and pretended that he was a rival to Cæsar.

†That is, noon. The Jews began to reckon the hours, of the day from 6 o'clock in the morning.

They seem to have renounced both their Savior and their God.

forth into a place called, The place of a skull, but which in Hebrew is called Golgotha; 18 where they crucified him, and two others with him, one on either side, and Jesus in the midst.

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And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.* 20 This title then read many of the Jews; for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, 21 and Latin. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. 22 Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written.

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Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part, and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top 24 throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it whose it shall be; that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.

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Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife 26 of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple standing

* Pilate made a shew of sincerity in his conduct toward Jesus ; and yet, no doubt, he would have been ready to condemn him, had he thought him aspiring at temporal power.

by whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, 27 Woman, behold thy son. Then he said to the disciple, Behold thy mother. And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own house.

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After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture 29 might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.* Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar. And they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon 30 hyssop, and put it to his mouth. And when Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished and he bowed his head, and expired. 31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath-day, (for that sabbath-day was an high day†) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they 32 might be taken away. Then the soldiers came, and brake the legs of the first and of the other 33 who was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, 34 they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers

with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith 35 there came out blood and water. And he who saw it bear witness, and his testimony is true: and he knoweth that he speaks the truth, that 36 ye might believe. For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone 37 of him shall not be broken. And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.‡

*See Psalm Ixix. 20.

A great day-it was their passover.
+ See Exodus xii. 46. Zachariah xii. 10.

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