John 18:28–38

JESUS BEFORE PILATE

²⁸Then^e they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters.^f It was early morning. They did not enter the headquarters themselves; otherwise they would be defiled and unable to eat the Passover.

²⁹So Pilate^g came out to them and said, “What charge^h do you bring against this man?”

³⁰They answered him, “If this man weren’t a criminal,^A we wouldn’t have handed him over to you.”

³¹Pilate told them, “You take him and judge him according to your law.”

“It’s not legal for us to put anyone to death,” the Jews declared. ³²They said this so that Jesus’s words might be fulfilled indicating what kind of death he was going to die.ⁱ

³³Then Pilate went back into the headquarters, summoned Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”^j

³⁴Jesus answered, “Are you asking this on your own, or have others told you about me?”

³⁵“I’m not a Jew, am I?” Pilate replied. “Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?”

³⁶“My kingdom^k is not of this world,” said Jesus. “If my kingdom were of this world,^l my servants^m would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But as it is,^B my kingdom is not from here.”ⁿ

³⁷“You are a king then?” Pilate asked.

“You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world^o for this: to testify^p to the truth.^q Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

³⁸“What is truth?” said Pilate.

JESUS OR BARABBAS

After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no grounds^r for charging him.