4. Once again Pilate went out. This time he said, “I will have Jesus brought out to you again. Then you can see for yourselves that I have not found him guilty.”
5. Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said, “Here is the man!”
6. When the chief priests and the temple police saw him, they yelled, “Nail him to a cross! Nail him to a cross!”Pilate told them, “You take him and nail him to a cross! I don't find him guilty of anything.”
7. The crowd replied, “He claimed to be the Son of God! Our Jewish Law says that he must be put to death.”
8. When Pilate heard this, he was terrified.
9. He went back inside and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus did not answer.
10. “Why won't you answer my question?” Pilate asked. “Don't you know that I have the power to let you go free or to nail you to a cross?”
11. Jesus replied, “If God had not given you the power, you couldn't do anything at all to me. But the one who handed me over to you did something even worse.”
12. Then Pilate wanted to set Jesus free. But the crowd again yelled, “If you set this man free, you are no friend of the Emperor! Anyone who claims to be a king is an enemy of the Emperor.”
13. When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out. Then he sat down on the judge's bench at the place known as “The Stone Pavement”. In Aramaic this pavement is called “Gabbatha”.
14. It was about midday on the day before Passover, and Pilate said to the crowd, “Look at your king!”