¹⁵ Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner^(A) chosen by the crowd. ¹⁶ At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus^[a] Barabbas. ¹⁷ So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”^{(B) 18} For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

¹⁹ While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat,^(C) his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent^(D) man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream^(E) because of him.”

²⁰ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.^(F)

²¹ “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.

“Barabbas,” they answered.

²² “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”^(G) Pilate asked.

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

²³ “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar^(H) was starting, he took water and washed his hands^(I) in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,”^(J) he said. “It is your responsibility!”^(K)

²⁵ All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”^(L)

²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged,^(M) and handed him over to be crucified.

⁶ Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. ⁷ A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. ⁸ The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

⁹ “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?”^(A) asked Pilate, ¹⁰ knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas^(B) instead.

¹² “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.

¹³ “Crucify him!” they shouted.

¹⁴ “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

¹⁵ Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged,^(C) and handed him over to be crucified.

³⁹ But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”

⁴⁰ They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.^(A)

Jesus Sentenced to Be Crucified^(B)

19 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.^{(C) 2} The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe ³ and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!”^(D) And they slapped him in the face.^(E)

⁴ Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing him out^(F) to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.”^{(G) 5} When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe,^(H) Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”

⁶ As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”

But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him.^(I) As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”^(J)

⁷ The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die,^(K) because he claimed to be the Son of God.”^(L)

⁸ When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, ⁹ and he went back inside the palace.^(M) “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer.^{(N) 10} “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

¹¹ Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.^(O) Therefore the one who handed me over to you^(P) is guilty of a greater sin.”

¹² From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king^(Q) opposes Caesar.”

¹³ When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat^(R) at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic^(S) is Gabbatha). ¹⁴ It was the day of Preparation^(T) of the Passover; it was about noon.^(U)

“Here is your king,”^(V) Pilate said to the Jews.

¹⁵ But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”

“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.

¹⁶ Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.^(W)

The Crucifixion of Jesus^(X)

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.