Jesus is Sentenced to Death^(A)

¹⁵ At every festival^[a] the governor had a custom of releasing to the crowd any prisoner whom they wanted. ¹⁶ At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner named Barabbas.^{[b] 17} So when the people^[c] had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which man do you want me to release for you—Barabbas,^[d] or Jesus who is called ‘the Messiah’?”^{[e] 18} He did this^[f] because he knew that they had handed him over out of jealousy.

¹⁹ While he was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him a message^[g] that said, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, because today I have suffered terribly due to a dream I had about him.”

²⁰ But the high priests and elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to demand that Jesus be put to death. ²¹ So the governor asked them, “Which of the two men do you want me to release for you?”

“Barabbas!” they replied.

²² Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with Jesus, who is called the Messiah?”^[h]

They all said, “Let him be crucified!”

²³ He asked, “What has he done wrong?”

But they kept shouting louder and louder, “Let him be crucified!”

²⁴ Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was about to break out instead. So he took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s^[i] blood. Attend to that yourselves.”

²⁵ All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and our children!” ²⁶ Then he released Barabbas for them, but he had Jesus whipped and handed over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus^(B)

²⁷ Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the imperial headquarters^[j] and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. ²⁸ They stripped^[k] him and put a scarlet robe on him. ²⁹ Twisting some thorns into a victor’s crown, they placed it on his head and put^[l] a stick in his right hand. They knelt down in front of him and began making fun of him, saying, “Long live the king of the Jews!” ³⁰ Then they spit on him and took the stick and hit him repeatedly on his head. ³¹ When they had finished making fun of him, they stripped him of the robe, put his own clothes back on him, and led him away to crucify him.

Jesus is Sentenced to Death^(A)

⁶ At every festival,^[a] Pilate^[b] would release any one prisoner whom the people^[c] requested. ⁷ Now there was a man in prison named Barabbas. He had been with the insurgents who had committed murder during the rebellion. ⁸ So the crowd came and began to request that Pilate^[d] do for them what he always did.^{[e] 9} Pilate answered them, “Do you want me to release the king of the Jews for you?” ¹⁰ because he knew that the high priests had handed him over due to jealousy.

¹¹ But the high priests stirred up the crowd to get him to release Barabbas for them instead. ¹² So Pilate asked them again, “Then what should I do with the man you call^[f] ‘the King of the Jews’?”

¹³ “Crucify him!” they shouted back.

¹⁴ “Why?” Pilate asked them. “What has he done wrong?”

But they shouted even louder, “Crucify him!”

¹⁵ So Pilate, wanting to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them, but he had Jesus whipped and handed over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus^(B)

¹⁶ The soldiers led Jesus^[g] into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters)^[h] and called out the whole guard. ¹⁷ They dressed him in a purple robe, twisted some thorns into a victor’s crown, and placed it on his head.^{[i] 18} They began to greet him, “Long live the king of the Jews!” ¹⁹ They kept hitting him on the head with a stick, spitting on him, kneeling in front of him, and worshiping him. ²⁰ When they had finished making fun of him, they stripped him of the purple robe, put his own clothes back on him, and led him away to crucify him.

Jesus is Sentenced to Death^(A)

¹³ Then Pilate called the high priests, the other^[a] leaders, and the people together ¹⁴ and told them, “You brought this man to me as one who turns the people against the government. And here in your presence I have examined him and have found him ‘Not Guilty’ of the charges you make against him. ¹⁵ Neither does Herod, because he sent him back to us! Indeed, this man^[b] has done nothing to deserve death. ¹⁶ So I will punish him and let him go.”

¹⁷ Now he was obligated to release someone for them at the festival.^{[c] 18} But they all shouted out together, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas for us!” ¹⁹ (This man had been put in prison for murder and for a revolt that had taken place in the city.) ²⁰ But Pilate wanted to let Jesus go, so he appealed to them again, ²¹ but they continued to shout, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

²² Then he spoke to them a third time: “What has he done wrong? I have found nothing in him worthy of death. So I will punish him and let him go.” ²³ But they kept pressing him with loud shouts, demanding that Jesus^[d] be crucified, and their shouts began to prevail.

²⁴ Then Pilate pronounced his sentence that their demand should be carried out. ²⁵ So he released the man who had been put in prison for revolt and murder—the man whose release^[e] they continued to demand—but he let them have their way with Jesus.^[f]