29
Accordingly Pilate came out to them and inquired, "What accusation have you to bring against this man?"
30
"If the man were not a criminal," they replied, "we would not have handed him over to you."
31
"Take him yourselves," said Pilate, "and judge him by your Law." "We have no power," replied the Jews, "to put any man to death."
32
They said this that the words might be fulfilled in which Jesus predicted the kind of death He was to die.
33
Re-entering the Praetorium, therefore, Pilate called Jesus and asked Him, "Are *you* the King of the Jews?"
34
"Do you say this of yourself, or have others told it you about me?" replied Jesus.
35
"Am I a Jew?" exclaimed Pilate; "it is your own nation and the High Priests who have handed you over to me. What have you done?"
36
"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."
37
"So then *you* are a king!" rejoined Pilate. "Yes," said Jesus, "you say truly that I am a king. For this purpose I was born, and for this purpose I have come into the world--to give testimony for the truth. Every one who is a friend of the truth listens to my voice."
38
"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.
39
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?"