² They began at once accusing him: “This fellow has been leading our people to ruin by telling them not to pay their taxes to the Roman government and by claiming he is our Messiah—a King.”

³ So Pilate asked him, “Are you their Messiah—their King?”^[a]

“Yes,” Jesus replied, “it is as you say.”

⁴ Then Pilate turned to the chief priests and to the mob and said, “So? That isn’t a crime!”