John 19:7-15

⁷“But we,” replied the crowd, “have a Law, under which he deserves death for making himself out to be the Son of God.”

⁸When Pilate heard what they said, he became still more alarmed;

⁹and, going into the Government house again, he said to Jesus, “Where do you come from?”

¹⁰But Jesus made no reply. So Pilate said to him, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don't you know that I have power to release you, and have power to crucify you?”

¹¹“You would have no power over me at all,” answered Jesus, “if it had not been given you from above; and, therefore, the man who betrayed me to you is guilty of the greater sin.”

¹²This made Pilate anxious to release him; but the crowd shouted, “If you release that man, you are no friend of the Emperor! Anyone who makes himself out to be a king is setting himself against the Emperor!”

¹³On hearing what they said, Pilate brought Jesus out, and took his seat on the Bench at a place called ‘The Stone Pavement’ — in Hebrew ‘Gabbatha.’

¹⁴It was the Passover Preparation day, and about noon. Then he said to the crowd, “Here is your king!”

¹⁵At that the people shouted, “Kill him! Kill him! Crucify him!” “What! Should I crucify your king?” exclaimed Pilate. “We have no king but the Emperor,” replied the chief priests;