Chapter 6

1Pilate dismayed by the turbulence of the Jews, 5 who demand Barabbas to be released, and Christ to be crucified, 9 Pilate warmly expostulates with them, 20 washes his hands of Christ's blood, 23 and sentences him to be whipped and crucified . THEN Pilate having called together Nicodemus, and the fifteen men who said that Jesus was not born through fornication, said to them, What shall I do, seeing there is like to be a tumult among the people.
2They said unto him, We know not; let them look to it who raise the tumult.
3Pilate then called the multitude again, and said to them, Ye know that ye have a custom, that I should release to you one prisoner at the feast of the passover;
4I have a noted prisoner, a murderer, who is called Barabbas, and Jesus who is called Christ, in whom I find nothing that deserves death; which of them therefore have you a mind that I should release to you?
5They all cry out, and say, Release to us Barabbas.
6Pilate saith to them, What then shall I do with Jesus who, is called Christ?
7They all answer, Let him be crucified.
8Again they cry out and say to Pilate, You are not the friend of Cæsar, if you release this man? for he hath declared that he is the Son of God, and a king. But are you inclined that he should be king, and not Cæsar?
9Then Pilate filled with anger said to them, Your nation hath always been seditious, and you are always against those who have been serviceable to you?
10The Jews replied, Who are those who have been serviceable to us?
11Pilate answered them, Your God who delivered you from the hard bondage of the Egyptians, and brought you over the Red Sea as though it had been dry land, and fed you in the wilderness with manna and the flesh of quails, and brought water out of the rock, and gave you a law from heaven:
12Ye provoked him all ways, and desired for yourselves a molten calf, and worshipped it, and sacrificed to it, and said, These are Thy Gods, O Israel, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt
13On account of which your God was inclined to destroy you; but Moses interceded for you, and your God heard him, and forgave your iniquity.
14Afterwards ye were enraged against, and would have killed your prophets, Moses and Aaron, when they fled to the tabernacle, and ye were always murmuring against God and his prophets.
15And arising from his judgment seat, he would have gone out; but the Jews all cried out, We acknowledge Cæsar to be king, and not Jesus.
16Whereas this person, as soon as he was born, the wise men came and offered gifts unto him; which when Herod heard, he was exceedingly troubled, and would have killed him.
17When his father knew this, he fled with him and his mother Mary into Egypt. Herod, when he heard he was born, would have slain him; and accordingly sent and slew all the children which were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under.
18When Pilate heard this account, he was afraid; and commanding silence among the people, who made a noise, he said to Jesus, Art thou therefore a king?
19All the Jews replied to Pilate, he is the very person whom Herod sought to have slain.
20Then Pilate taking water, washed his hands before the people and said, I am innocent of the blood of this just person; look ye to it.
21The Jews answered and said, His blood be upon us and our children.
22Then Pilate commanded Jesus to be brought before him, and spake to him in the following words:
23Thy own nation hath charged thee as making thyself a king; wherefore I, Pilate, sentence thee to be whipped according to the laws of former governors; and that thou be first bound, then hanged upon a cross in that place where thou art now a prisoner; and also two criminals with thee, whose names are Dimas and Gestas.