The Words of King Lemuel

31 The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:

Jesus Before Pilate

^28 (A)Then they led Jesus ^(B)from the house of Caiaphas to ^(C)the governor's headquarters.^[a] It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters, ^(D)so that they would not be defiled, ^(E)but could eat the Passover. ^29 (F)So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” ³⁰ They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” ³¹ Pilate said to them, ^(G)“Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” ^32 (H)This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken ^(I)to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

My Kingdom Is Not of This World

^33 (J)So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, ^(K)“Are you the King of the Jews?” ³⁴ Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” ³⁵ Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” ³⁶ Jesus answered, ^(L)“My kingdom ^(M)is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, ^(N)my servants would have been fighting, that ^(O)I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” ³⁷ Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, ^(P)“You say that I am a king. ^(Q)For this purpose I was born and for this purpose ^(R)I have come into the world—^(S)to bear witness to the truth. ^(T)Everyone who is ^(U)of the truth ^(V)listens to my voice.” ³⁸ Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

After he had said this, ^(W)he went back outside to the Jews and told them, ^(X)“I find no guilt in him. ^39 (Y)But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” ⁴⁰ They cried out again, ^(Z)“Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.^[b]

^9 (A)This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; ¹⁰ they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. ¹¹ As for the beast ^(B)that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. ¹² And ^(C)the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings ^(D)for one hour, together with the beast. ¹³ These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. ¹⁴ They ^(E)will make war on the Lamb, and ^(F)the Lamb will conquer them, for he is ^(G)Lord of lords and ^(H)King of kings, and those with him are ^(I)called and chosen and faithful.”

¹⁵ And the angel^[a] said to me, ^(J)“The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. ¹⁶ And ^(K)the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast ^(L)will hate the prostitute. They will make her ^(M)desolate and ^(N)naked, and ^(O)devour her flesh and ^(P)burn her up with fire, ¹⁷ for ^(Q)God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and ^(R)handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. ¹⁸ And the woman that you saw is ^(S)the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.”