31
Pilate said to them,
1“Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law. ” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death. ”
32
2This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken
3to show by what kind of death he was going to die.
My Kingdom Is Not of This World
33 4So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him,
5“Are you the King of the Jews? ”
34
Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me? ”
35
Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done? ”
36
Jesus answered,
6“My kingdom
7is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world,
8my servants would have been fighting, that
9I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world. ”
37
Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king? ” Jesus answered,
10“You say that I am a king.
11For this purpose I was born and for this purpose
12I have come into the world—
13to bear witness to the truth.
14Everyone who is
15of the truth
16listens to my voice. ”
38
Pilate said to him, “What is truth? ”After he had said this,
17he went back outside to the Jews and told them,
18“I find no guilt in him.
39
19But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews? ”
40
They cried out again,
20“Not this man, but Barabbas! ” Now Barabbas was a robber.