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answered, "What is that to us? See thou to that." Then he cast down the thirty pieces of silver in the temple, and went away, and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood." And when they had taken counsel, they bought with them The Potter's Field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field is called The Field of Blood to this day.

JESUS CONDEMNED BY PILATE. (Luke xxiii. 1-25; John xviii. 36-38; Matt. xxvii. 24-26.)

WHEN they had led Jesus away to Pilate, they began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar, saying that he himself is Christ, a king. And Pilate asked him, saying,

"Art thou the king of the Jews?" Jesus answered him, "Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?" Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me. What hast thou done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now is my kingdom not from hence." Pilate therefore said unto him, "Art thou a king, then?" Jesus answered, "Thou sayest [truly] that I am a king. To this end I was born, and for this purpose came I into the world, that I might bear witness to the truth; every one that is of the truth hearkeneth to my voice." Pilate saith unto him,

"What is truth?"

Then Pilate went out and said to the Jews, "I find no fault in him at all." But they were the more fierce, saying, "He stirreth up the people, teaching

throughout all Judæa, from Galilee, where he began, to this place. When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man was a Galilean? And when he found that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was then at Jerusalem.

And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard much of him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by him. Then he questioned him in many words, but he answered him nothing. And the chief priests and scribes stood by, and vehemently accused him. But Herod and his soldiers set him at naught and mocked him; and when he had arrayed. him in a shining robe, he sent him back to Pilate. And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends, for before they had been at enmity between themselves.

Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, and the rulers, and the people, said unto them, "Ye have

brought this man unto me as one that perverteth the people; and behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man, touching those things whereof ye accuse him; no, nor yet Herod, for I sent you to him, and lo, nothing worthy of death has been done by him; I will therefore chastise him, and let him go;" (for it was necessary that he should release one to them at the festival). Then all cried out together, saying, "Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas." Now Barabbas had been cast into prison, for a certain sedition raised in the city, and for murder.

Pilate, wishing to release Jesus, spake again to them. But they cried out, saying, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" And he said unto them the third time, "Why, what evil hath he done? I have found nothing worthy of death in him; I will therefore chastise him and let him go." But they were urgent with loud voices, requiring that he should be crucified.

When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that the tumult increased, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man; see ye to it." Then answered all the people and said, "His blood be upon us and upon our children." Then released he Barabbas unto them; and when he had caused Jesus to be scourged, he delivered him up to be crucified.

THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS.

(Matt. xxvii. 27-56; Luke xxiii. 27-46;

xix. 25-27.)

John

THEN the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered around him the whole band. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon

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