said Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above; therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him; but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man gò, thou art not Cæsar's friend; whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Cæsar.

When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha, and he said unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate said unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Cæsar.

When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but rather that a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person; see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

And so Pilate, willing to content the people, gave sentence that it should be as they required. And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder

had been cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus unto them to be crucified. And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour.

CLXXXVI.

Judas Iscariot's repentance and suicide.

THEN

HEN Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.

And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem. Wherefore that field was called, in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood, unto this day.

Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces

of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value, and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.

ΑΝ

CLXXXVII.

Christ bears his cross.

ND after that they had mocked him, they took the purple robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. And he bearing his cross went forth. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.

And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?

AN

CLXXXVIII.

The crucifixion.

ND when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, and in the Hebrew, Golgotha; which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull; they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. And it was the third hour,* and there they crucified him; and with him they crucified two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left, and Jesus in the midst. And the Scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

And Pilate wrote a title of his accusation, and put it on the cross, over his head: and the writing was, THIS IS JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. And it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city. Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews Pilate answered,

What I have written I have written.

Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every

* i.e. 9 A.M.

soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be; that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did. And sitting down they watched him there, and mocked him, saying, If thou art the King of the Jews, save thyself.

AN

CLXXXIX.

The thief on the cross saved.

ND they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself, and come down from the cross. And the people stood beholding. And the rulers with them; likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot If he be the Christ, the chosen of God the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him; for he said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

save.