Gospel of Nicodemus, Part I: The Acts of Pilate 2

1Now when Pilate saw it he was afraid, and sought to rise up from the judgement-seat. And while he yet thought to rise up, his wife sent unto him, saying: Have thou nothing to do with this just man, for I have suffered many things because of him by night. And Pilate called unto him all the Jews, and said unto them: Ye know that my wife feareth God and favoureth rather the customs of the Jews, with you? They say unto him: Yea, we know it. Pilate saith unto them: Lo, my wife hath sent unto me, saying: Have thou nothing to do with this just man: for I have suffered many things because of him by night. But the Jews answered and said unto Pilate: Said we not unto thee that he is a sorcerer? behold, he hath sent a vision of a dream unto thy wife.

Ὁ δὲ Πιλάτος ἰδὼν ἔμφοβος γενόμενος ἐζήτησεν ἀναστῆναι ἀπὸ τοῦ βήματος. ἔτι δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐνθυμουμένου ἀναστῆναι, ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ ἔπεμψεν πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγουσα· μηδέν σοι καὶ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τῷ δικαίῳ τούτῳ· πολλὰ γὰρ ἔπαθον δι᾽ αὐτὸν μυκτός. ὁ δὲ Πιλάτος προσκαλεσάμενος τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἅπαντας λέγει αὐτοῖς· οἴδατε ὅτι ἡ γυνή μου θεοσεβής ἐστιν καὶ μᾶλλον ἰουδαΐζει σὺν ὑμῖν. λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· ναί, οἴδαμεν. λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Πιλάτος· ἰδοὺ ἔπεμψεν ἡ γυνή μου λέγουσα· μηδέν σοι καὶ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τῷ δικαίῳ τούτῳ· πολλὰ γὰρ ἔπαθον δι᾽ αὐτὸν μυκτός. ἀποκριθέντες δὲ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι λέγουσιν τῷ Πιλάτῳ· μὴ οὐκ εἴπαμέν σοι ὅτι γόης ἐστίν; ἰδοὺ ὀνειροπόλημα ἔπεμψε πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκά σου. (61448)

2And Pilate called Jesus unto him and said to him: What is it that these witness against thee? speakest thou nothing? But Jesus said: If they had not had power they would have spoken nothing; for every man hath power over his own mouth, to speak good or evil: they shall see to it .

Ὁ δὲ Πιλάτος προσκαλεσάμενος τὸν Ἰησοῦν λέγει αὐτῷ· τί οὗτοί σου καταμαρτυροῦσιν; οὐδὲν λαλεῖς; ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἔφη· εἰ μὴ εἶχον ἐξουσίαν, οὐδὲν ἂν ἐλάλουσαν· εἷς γὰρ ἕκαστος ἐξουσίαν ἔχει τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ λαλεῖν ἀγαθά τε καὶ πονηρά· αὐτοὶ ὄψονται. (22044)

3The elders of the Jews answered and said unto Jesus: What shall we see? Firstly, that thou wast born of fornication; secondly, that thy birth in Bethlehem was the cause of the slaying of children; thirdly, that thy father Joseph and thy mother Mary fled into Egypt because they had no confidence before the people.

Ἀποκριθέντες δὲ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τῶν Ἰουδαίων λέγουσιν τῷ Ἰησοῦ· τί ἡμεῖς ὀψόμεθα; πρῶτον ὅτι ἐκ πορνείας γεγέννησαι· δεύτερον ὅτι ἡ σὴ γέννησις ἐν Βηθλεὲμ νηπίων ἀναίρεσις γέγονεν· τρίτον ὅτι ὁ πατήρ σου Ἰωσὴφ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ σου Μαριὰμ ἔφυγον εἰς Αἴγυπτον διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν αὐτοὺς παρρησίαν ἐν τῷ λαῷ. (27838)

4Then said certain of them that stood by, devout men of the Jews: We say not that he came of fornication; but we know that Joseph was betrothed unto Mary, and he was not born of fornication. Pilate saith unto those Jews which said that he came of fornication: This your saying is not true for there were espousals, as these also say which are of your nation. Annas and Caiaphas say unto Pilate: The whole multitude of us cry out that he was born of fornication, and we are not believed: but these are proselytes and disciples of his. And Pilate called Annas and Caiaphas unto him and said to them: What be proselytes? They say unto him: They were born children of Greeks, and now are they become Jews. Then said they which said that he was not born of fornication, even Lazarus, Asterius, Antonius, Jacob, Amnes, Zenas, Samuel, Isaac, Phinees, Crispus, Agrippa and Judas: We were not born proselytes (are not Greeks, Copt. ), but we are children of Jews and we speak the truth; for verily we were present at the espousals of Joseph and Mary.

Λέγουσίν τινες τῶν ἑστηκότων εὐλαβεῖς ἐκ τῶν Ἰουδαίων· ἡμεῖς οὐ λέγομεν αὐτὸν εἶναι ἐκ πορνείας, ἀλλὰ οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἐμνηστεύσατο ὁ Ἰωσὴφ τὴν Μαρίαν, καὶ οὐ γεγέννηται ἐκ πορνείας. λέγει ὁ Πιλάτος πρὸς τοὺς Ἰουδαίους τοὺς λέγοντας εἶναι αὐτὸν ἐκ πορνείας· οὗτος ὁ λόγος ὑμῶν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀληθής, ὅτι ὄρμαστρα γέγοναν, καθὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ λέγουσιν οἱ σύμεθμοι ὑμῶν. λέγουσιν τῷ Πιλάτῳ Ἄννας καὶ Καϊάφας· ἅπαν τὸ πλῆθος κράζομεν καὶ οὐ πιστευόμεθα ὅτι ἐκ πορνείας γεγέννηται· οὗτοι προσήλυτοί εἰσιν καὶ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ. καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος ὁ Πιλάτος Ἄνναν καὶ Καϊάφαν λέγει αὐτοῖς· τί ἐστιν προσήλυτοι; λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· Ἑλλήνων τέκνα ἐγεννήθησαν, καὶ νῦν γεγόνασιν Ἰουδαῖοι. λέγουσιν οἱ εἰπόντες ὅτι οὐ γεγέννηται ἐκ πορνείας, Λάζαρος, Ἀστέριος, Ἀρτώμιος, Ἰάκωβος, Ἀμμής, Ζηρᾶς, Σαμουήλ, Ἰσαάκ, Φινεές, Κρίσπος, Ἀγρίππας καὶ Ἰούδας· ἡμεῖς προσήλυτοι οὐ γεγεννήμεθα, ἀλλὰ τέκνα Ἰουδαίων ἐσμὲν καὶ ἀλήθειαν λαλοῦμεν· καὶ γὰρ εἰς τὰ ὁρμαστρα Ἰωσὴφ καὶ Μαρίας παραγεγόναμεν. (75235)

5And Pilate called unto him those twelve men which said that he was not born of fornication, and saith unto them: I adjure you by the safety of Caesar, are these things true which ye have said, that he was not born of fornication? They say unto Pilate: We have a law that we swear not, because it is sin: But let them swear by the safety of Caesar that it is not as we have said, and we will be guilty of death. Pilate saith to Annas and Caiaphas: Answer ye nothing to these things? Annas and Caiaphas say unto Pilate: These twelve men are believed which say that he was not born of fornication, but the whole multitude of us cry out that he was born of fornication, and is a sorcerer, and saith that he is the Son of God and a king, and we are not believed.

Προσκαλεσάμενος δὲ ὁ Πιλάτος τοὺς δώδεκα ἄνδρας τούτους τοὺς εἰπόντας ὅτι οὐ γεγέννηται ἐκ πορνείας, λέγει αὐτοῖς· ὁρκίζω ὑμᾶς κατὰ τῆς σωτηρίας Καίσαρος, εἰ ἀληθῆ εἰσὶν ἃ εἴπατε, ὅτι οὐ γεγέννηται ἐκ πορνείας; λέγουσιν τῷ Πιλάτῳ· ἡμεῖς νόμον ἔχομεν μὴ ὀμνύειν, ὅτι ἁμαρτία ἐστίν· αὐτοὶ δὲ ὀμόσουσιν κατὰ τῆς σωτηρίας Καίσαρος ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν καθὼς εἴπαμεν, καὶ ἔνοχοί ἐσμεν θανάτου. λέγει ὁ Πιλάτος πρὸς Ἄνναν καὶ Καϊάφαν· οὐδὲν ἀποκρίνεσθε πρὸς ταῦτα; λέγουσιν Ἄννας καὶ Καϊάφας πρὸς Πιλάτον· οἱ δώδεκα οὗτοι πιστεύονται ὅτι οὐ γεγέννηται ἐκ πορνείας· ἅπαν τὸ πλῆθος κράζομεν ὅτι ἐκ πορνείας γεγέννηται καὶ γόης ἐστὶν καὶ λέγει ἑαυτὸν υἱὸν θεοῦ καὶ βασιλέα, καὶ οὐ πιστευόμεθα. (53260)

6And Pilate commanded the whole multitude to go out, saving the twelve men which said that he was not born of fornication and he commanded Jesus to be set apart: and Pilate saith unto them: For what cause do they desire to put him to death? They say unto Pilate: They have jealousy, because he healeth on the sabbath day. Pilate saith: For a good work do they desire to put him to death? They say unto him: Yea.

Καὶ κελεύει ὁ Πιλάτος ἅπαν τὸ πλῆθος ἐξελθεῖν ἐκτὸς τῶν δώδεκα ἀνδρῶν τῶν εἰπόντων ὅτι οὐ γεγέννηται ἐκ πορνείας, καὶ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐκέλευσε χωρισθῆναι· καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Πιλάτος· ποίῳ λόγῳ θέλουσιν αὐτὸν ἀποκτεῖναι; λέγουσιν τῷ Πιλάτῳ· ζῆλον ἔχουσιν, ὅτι ἐν σαββάτῳ θεραπεύει. λέγει ὁ Πιλάτος· περὶ καλοῦ ἔργου θέλουσιν αὐτὸν ἀποκτεῖναι; λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· ναί. (33268)