The Shepherd Struck, the Sheep Scattered

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^(A) opposes Caesar.”

¹³ When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat^(B) at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic^(C) is Gabbatha). ¹⁴ It was the day of Preparation^(D) of the Passover; it was about noon.^(E)

“Here is your king,”^(F) 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.^(G)

The Crucifixion of Jesus^(H)

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.

¹² When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer.^{(A) 13} Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?”^{(B) 14} But Jesus made no reply,^(C) not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.

¹⁵ Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner^(D) 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?”^{(E) 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,^(F) his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent^(G) man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream^(H) because of him.”

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

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?”^(J) 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^(K) was starting, he took water and washed his hands^(L) in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,”^(M) he said. “It is your responsibility!”^(N)

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

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

²⁶ After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death^(A) and will have nothing.^[a] The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood:^(B) War will continue until the end, and desolations^(C) have been decreed.^(D)