John 18:28-38
New American Standard Bible
Jesus before Pilate
28 (A)Then they *brought Jesus from (B)Caiaphas into (C)the [a]Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter (D)the [b]Praetorium, so that (E)they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover. 29 (F)Therefore Pilate came out to them and *said, “What accusation are you bringing against this Man?” 30 They answered and said to him, “If this Man were not [c]a criminal, we would not have handed Him over to you.” 31 So Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.” The Jews said to him, “We are not [d]permitted to put anyone to death.” 32 This happened so that (G)the word of Jesus which He said, indicating what kind of death He was going to die, would be fulfilled.
33 Therefore Pilate (H)entered the Praetorium again, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “(I)You are the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Are you saying this [e]on your own, or did others tell you about Me?” 35 Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed You over to me; what have You done?” 36 Jesus answered, “(J)My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not [f]of this realm.” 37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “(K)You say correctly that I am a king. For this purpose I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: (L)to testify to the truth. (M)Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.” 38 Pilate *said to Him, “What is truth?”
And after saying this, he (N)came out again to the Jews and *said to them, “(O)I find no grounds at all for charges in [g]His case.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- John 18:28 I.e., governor’s official residence
- John 18:28 I.e., governor’s official residence
- John 18:30 Lit one doing evil
- John 18:31 I.e., under Roman law
- John 18:34 Lit from yourself
- John 18:36 Lit from here
- John 18:38 Lit Him
John 18:28-38
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Jesus before Pilate
28 Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover.(A) 29 So Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” 31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.” The Jews replied, “We are not permitted to put anyone to death.” 32 (This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.)(B)
33 Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”(C) 34 Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” 35 Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom belonged to this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”(D) 37 Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”(E) 38 Pilate asked him, “What is truth?”
Jesus Sentenced to Death
After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no case against him.(F)
Read full chapter
John 18:28-39
The Message
The King of the Jews
28-29 They led Jesus then from Caiaphas to the Roman governor’s palace. It was early morning. They themselves didn’t enter the palace because they didn’t want to be disqualified from eating the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and spoke. “What charge do you bring against this man?”
30 They said, “If he hadn’t been doing something evil, do you think we’d be here bothering you?”
31-32 Pilate said, “You take him. Judge him by your law.”
The Jews said, “We’re not allowed to kill anyone.” (This would confirm Jesus’ word indicating the way he would die.)
33 Pilate went back into the palace and called for Jesus. He said, “Are you the ‘King of the Jews’?”
34 Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own, or did others tell you this about me?”
35 Pilate said, “Do I look like a Jew? Your people and your high priests turned you over to me. What did you do?”
36 “My kingdom,” said Jesus, “doesn’t consist of what you see around you. If it did, my followers would fight so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But I’m not that kind of king, not the world’s kind of king.”
37 Then Pilate said, “So, are you a king or not?”
Jesus answered, “You tell me. Because I am King, I was born and entered the world so that I could witness to the truth. Everyone who cares for truth, who has any feeling for the truth, recognizes my voice.”
38-39 Pilate said, “What is truth?”
Then he went back out to the Jews and told them, “I find nothing wrong in this man. It’s your custom that I pardon one prisoner at Passover. Do you want me to pardon the ‘King of the Jews’?”
Read full chapterNew American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson