ws hearing this, were
provoked, and said to Pilate,
Why wilt thou any longer hear the
blasphemy of that man?

13 Pilate saith to them, If these
words seem to you blasphemy, do
ye take him, bring him to your
court, and try him according to
your law.

14 The Jews reply to Pilate,
Our law saith, he shall be obliged
to receive nine and thirty stripes,
but if after this manner he shall
blaspheme against the Lord, he
shall be stoned.

15 Pilate saith unto them, If
that speech of his was blasphemy,
do ye try him according to your
law.

16 The Jews say to Pilate, Our
law command us not to put any one
to death. We desire that he may be
crucified, because he deserves the
death of the cross.

17 Pilate saith to them, It is not
fit he should be crucified: let him
be only whipped and sent away.

18 But when the governor looked
upon the people that were present
and the Jews, he saw many of the
Jews in tears, and said to the
chief priests of the Jews, All
the people do not desire his death.

19 The elders of the Jews answered
to Pilate, We and all the people
came hither for this very purpose,
that he should die.

20 Pilate saith to them, Why should
he die?

21 They said to him, Because
he declares himself to be the Son
of God and a King.

CHAP. V.

1 Nicodemus speaks in defence of Christ,
and relates his miracles.
12 Another Jew,
26 with Veronica,
34 Centurio, and others,
testify of other miracles.

BUT Nicodemus, a certain Jew,
stood before the governor,
and said, I entreat thee,
O righteous judge, that thou
wouldst favour me with the
liberty of speaking a few words.

2 Pilate said to him, Speak on.

3 Nicodemus said, I spake to
the elders of the Jews, and the
scribes, and priests and Levites,
and all the multitude of the Jews,
in their assembly; What is it ye
would do with this man?

4 He is a man who hath wrought
many useful and glorious miracles,
such as no man on earth ever
wrought before, nor will ever
work. Let him go, and do him
no harm; if he cometh from God,
his miracles, (his miraculous
cures) will continue; but if from
men, they will come to nought.

5 Thus Moses, when he was
sent by God into Egypt, wrought
the miracles which God commanded
him, before Pharaoh king of Egypt;
and though the magicians of that
country, Jannes and Jambres,
wrought by their magic the same
miracles which Moses did, yet they
could not work all